Caution, the following post may contain actual knitting content




I know it's been a while, but I do have some actual knitting to report upon.
Bloom, from Rowan 36, was one of the very first things I knitted for myself. Up until that point everything had been tiny, for babies or children and this was my first attempt at an adult sized garment. Save, that is, from a brief foray into the world of knitting back in my student days when I ambitiously decided to knit a very complicated cabled sweater in spite of the fact that my knitting experience was limited to small garter stitch doll sweater made under my Grandmother's careful tutelage at age 8. Optimistically I made good use of my student grant money and bought a giant sized ball of something (whispers) acrylic and cast on with the help of a charity shop book, circa 1973. With a blissful disregard for words like gauge I bravely knitted on and finished the sweater, indeed I wore it and compared to some of the other items in my wardrobe at that time it actually wasn't so very bad.I digress. So Bloom was my first knit for me and it has been one of my most successful knits ever. By successful I mean, I actually wear it a lot, it is in regular rotation in my wardrobe and I love it. Considering it is about 6 years old now it has worn surprisingly well, Felted Tweed how I love thee.




So I decided to make another, this project has the added advantage of being reasonable inexpensive to knit and there is enough short row shaping to make up for the tedium of all the stocking stitch. The front is completed and I am romping across the back, at this rate I may even have some actual finished garment pictures to show you next week!




Hopefully of a rather better quality than this picture of my existing Bloom which I hurriedly snapped in a poorly lit bathroom mirror this afternoon while many children ran wild through the house.




Now I do hope none of you passed out with the shock of seeing actual knitting on this so-called knitting blog, I suggest you all go and have a nerve steadying glass of wine, after all it is Friday night and everyone knows that Friday night is wine night.

Comments

TA said…
Woo Hoo Wine night! Now, let's see... red or white.. red or white...

This is a knitting blog?
Jane said…
Tea for me please but your knitting is beautiful. Jane x
Jo's Corner said…
I love the sweater and the glass of wine suggestion. My better half is taking us out tonight for dinner - so I think a nice glass of red is my near future!
kristina said…
So funny because just yesterday I pulled my own Bloom (in the same gray no less) out of my wip pile, where it's been languishing for ... ahem ... quite a while... Must sew those pieces together now! K x
Unknown said…
ooh! I love the floral patch on the grey. I can't wait to see the new Bloom.

and yes. Friday night is wine night.
Gina said…
Rather lovely pattern! Already started on the wine...
Charity said…
I'm on the herbal tea as I'm still fighting a most nasty bug, but I'm loving your knitting! Are you using Felted Tweed again? I love the little patch on your existing sweater, sweet. :o)
kim said…
What a great, little sweater. I've heard such wonderful things about the felted tweed. I need to use some.
Anonymous said…
It looks like such a versatile vest - I think that I bought Rowan 36 especially for it.

Thanks for letting us know that the Felted Tweed hold up well - I'm always interested in knowing how things last.
alice c said…
For some reason this post makes me long to knit again. Perhaps it is the discovery that even committed knitters like you have fallow periods which makes me more understanding of my own long absence.
Georgina said…
I love the added touch of 'Rebeccaness' in the applique. What will you add to the second generation Bloom? It is such a great move to make again a beloved item - I still mourn some of the clothes I have loved and worn to death!
Anonymous said…
Hi Everyone,

Just found this site and thought it might be useful to chat to people who are trying to accomplish the same as me!

I spend too much of my life on the internet and look forward to chatting to you all and picking up and sharing ideas along the way!

Eva
cathleen said…
Beautiful knitting and quite flattering on you, Rebecca. But, as far as wine night...I'm having mine right this very minute and it's Saturday night! (had some last night too)
Anonymous said…
i genuinely enjoy your own posting way, very interesting,
don't quit and keep creating mainly because it just that is worth to look through it,
excited to find out additional of your stories, kind regards!
Linda said…
Now thats lovely. I have that book but never noticed Bloom. Have a good weekend!

http://leafgreenknits.wordpress.com/
Krawuggl said…
I, too, remember very well the time when I knitted my first garments with no regarding of gauge or sizing. Therefore my sweaters looked a bit like mini-tents, I always enjoyed the knitting so much that I missed the armhole shaping for about 20 cm or so. But I loved this sweaters and wore them a lot. It was only through blogland that I discovered how very important the shaping is and now I will hurry up to my yarn stash to look for some odd balls of Felted Tweed, so much I like your bloom, especially with your lovely lovely personal touch.
Shelley in SC said…
I'm giggling over your acrylic (whispering!) college knitting adventure. I love the one you're wearing . . . especially with the little floral "patch." Darling!
Willow said…
Yes, sometimes, we all use a.... yarn. Shhhh. We won't tell.

I do love that sweater. And you look lovely in it. I'm still looking for the 'perfect' pattern!
Carolyn said…
My first "proper" knit was a sweater for my other half in fisherman's rib. Like you, i cared not a jot about gauge and ended up - after weeks of hard work and frustration - with a sweater that would have been a great fit, if he had a 60" chest. Ho hum.

Bloom is lovely, I am not surprised you are revisiting it.
SUCH a cute little sweater!
and i have used felted tweed once... for my tangled yoke... the wear is EXCEPTIONAL! no pilling. i am in love with that yarn.

it would be SO great if we could enjoy a friday night wine together. or a sunday one for that matter. :)
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