I've been planning to knit Scarlett and Sebastian several cardigans and vests this year, along with some hats and berets, and maybe a scarf for each. So the fair isle vests were started in mid-summer. But after that, nothing went on as planned. In a few words, the twins were sent to Kindergarten, got myself a job (restarting EXACTLY five years since I left the last), and was interrupted by many other projects (what else).
今年計畫要給兩小打好幾件外套背心, 可能還有帽子圍巾, 所以七八月就開始打費爾島風背心. 不過之後就沒有一計畫一件一件打...
My mother bought the twins each a pound of fingering weight merino in Beijing this summer. The color pattern was dyed like sock yarn and I strongly suspect that these are actually some renown sock yarn! I was attempted to knit socks with them! I was suggested to use these to knit new garments for the twins but had yet to make swatches. Curiously, the yarns came with a swatch card! It was machine swatched though... I was knitting the fair isle vests with fingering weight yarns and was a bit fed up with the weight so I really wanted to give it a pass.
兩小外婆今年暑假去北京給兩人各買了一磅 fingering weight 的毛線, 染的花跟襪線一樣, 我懷疑根本就是歐美某牌襪線, 很想拿來打雙襪子! 很好笑的是買線有附織片卡...還是機織的, 一點幫助都沒有因為還是要打織片. 兩小外婆說要用這線打衣服但織片沒做不能開工, 剛好那時打費爾島風背心打細線打得有點煩, 想要換換粗細.
From grandma: Sebastian's golden brown and stone 外婆買的線: 謙的咖啡金+石頭灰
From grandma: Scarlett's mauve 外婆買的線:若的紫紅
Anyway, I decided to use this wonderful luscious lambswool/cashmere/angora handpainted yarn bought a few years back in my stash to knit the twins cardigans. I used these same yarns to knit tow cardigans two years ago. I was supposed to ripped them and use that part of the yarn first but I was lazy so I cast-on with new balls. Each cardigan used less than 3 balls (150g).
最後決定用這組前幾年跟南萍姐買的羔羊毛/山羊絨/兔毛手染線, 手感很好, 又輕又暖, 線撚得實卻不硬, 不容易被針戳開岔. 兩年前用過同組線給兩小打外套, 本要先拆來打, 不過實在懶, 且沒打過的還好幾球, 就拿新球來打. 一件用不到三顆 150g.
As I used this yarn before and I made two swatches so I can CO right away, after calculating and get all the figures required, of course. I used tubular/invisible CO, as instructed in Interweave Knits Fal 2008. I like the rolled edge feel and decided to do an invisible/sewn BO for the hem and cuffs. I also wanted the button/buttonhole bands to be sewn to the collar band instead of knitting them all the way up to the collar, inspired by the lovely Marie-Adeline's Un peu de chance Cardigan. M1 increases were used to the raglan instead of my usual kfb.
因為之前打過做過織片所以馬上就起針了, 不過當然還是要先算針. 算針最麻煩了, 但不算開打不了啊! 尤其這次沒有織圖自己想著打, 更要算. 我用 IK 2008 秋季號中介紹的隱形/彈性起針法起領子, 且計畫用隱形/縫收針法收袖口下襬釦子和釦洞邊. 我喜歡那個圓滑的邊緣. 這次釦子釦洞邊不挑到領子邊, 只挑到前襟平針部份, 然後再和領子縫合. 從 Marie-Adeline 的 Un peu de chance 開襟外套來的靈感. 這次拉克蘭加針用的是扭加針, 和我一向用的打一前一後不同, 效果也不一樣.
The button/buttonhole bands were sewn to the collar band, inspired by Marie-Adeline's Un peu de chance Cardigan. 釦子釦洞邊與領子縫合是從 Marie-Adeline Un peu de chance 開襟外套來的靈感
M1 increases for the raglan instead of the usual kfb 拉克蘭用扭加針與以往一前一後不同
I planned the chest circumference to be about 25" but it came out almost smaller. The cardigans were only steamed to smooth and even out the stiches and hopefully it will relax a little more after wear. The cardigans were knitted Continental style while the swatches were made English style. Although I had that in mind and increased a few times more, the size didn't come out as large as I would've liked. But they're still fine. Really.
原計畫胸圍打 25 吋但打出來較小一點. 外套都有蒸氣定型讓針腳平順, 希望穿過後會大一些. 我想是因為衣服是左手掛線打的, 但織片確是又手線打的. 我是知道這個差別所以加針時有多加些, 但仍沒有我想要的大. 不過還好啦. 太大了很麻煩, 小孩衣服就是這樣, 太大了捲東捲西自己看了很窩囊, 太小的又可惜.
Scarlett's was CO first and 3.3mm (Japanese size 4) needles were used to CO the collar then switched to 3.6mm (JP5) for the body. Then I thought a smaller size needle would render an even better stitch definition so Seba's was CO with 3mm (JP3) and switched to 3.3mm for the body. The result was very good and I didn't have to worry and tug on the stitches.
若的先起針用日規4號起領子, 5號織身體. 後來覺得要再小一號針目會更漂亮, 所以謙的就用 3號起領子 4 號織身體, 果然不一樣! 如此我就不用擔心每一針都想要去多拉一下拉緊一點.
Sleeves should've been knitted first after dividing the body and the sleeves, but I went on knitting the body, anyway. 3.3mm and 3mm needles were used to knit Scarlett's and Seba's ribbing respectively and then invisibe/sewn bound off. The button bands were knitted next for I still had to calculate the spacings of the buttonhole bands. The buttonhole bands have a 2-stitch garter edge, inspired by Veronik Avery. After knitting Dollar and a Half Cardigan and Oblique, I found it her signature to keep 2 or 3 stitches at the bottom of the band in garter stitcht to keep them neat and easier to block into shape/measurement.
身體袖子分家後應先打袖子, 但我還是先把身體打好. 下襬的羅紋邊用 4 號和 3 號針打且用縫收收針. 接下來織的是扣子邊, 因為釦洞邊還沒算好間隔距離! 釦洞邊最下面 2 針打起伏針做邊, 這是打了 Veronik Avery 的一塊半開襟外套還有斜斜開襟外套得來的靈感和經驗. VA 喜歡將釦子釦洞邊最下面 2~3 針打起伏針做邊, 這樣比較平整且容易整型.
The 2-stitch garter edge on the buttonhole band, inspired by Veronik Avery 釦洞邊最下面 2 針打起輔針最邊 - 從VA那得來的靈感
2-stitch garter edge on the buttonhole band 釦洞邊的 2 針起伏邊
The cuffs were knitted with 2.5mm dpns. I don't have circulars in that size. Normally I don't used needles more than one size smaller than the body for cuffs for I don't like the cinched look. In Japanese patterns and many compatriot knitters, they do, and the latter most likely never block their finished sweaters so the cuffs, hems and collars are all scruffled up. I only lightly steam block the cardigans so that it is visible that needles more than one size smaller is used for the cuff. Had I blocked it the normal way, one might never tell that needles three sizes smaller were used. And because the needles were dpns, I got those horrifying ladder effect. I didn;t want to "aggravate" the cinched look so I knitted loosely and didn't tug when I carried the yarn over to the next needle. The invisible/sewn BO contributed the smooth rolled edge and neutralized the ladder effect shock.
袖口是用 2.5mm 的雙頭棒針打的, 因為我沒有 2.5mm 的輪針. 通常我不喜歡用比打身體的針小超過 1 號的針來打下襬袖口或領口. 那種束口的感覺我很不喜歡. 有些織圖和一些同好喜歡用至少小兩號的織, 且後者通常不將毛衣定型, 所以成品的袖口下襬領口通通縮起來, 一整個看起來很頹... 我還只有輕輕用蒸氣烘過定型, 如果照一般定型的力道, 整型完可能沒人會發現這是用小 2~3 號的針打的... 這次之所以用小這麼多號的針打是因為怕袖口開太大. 非常時候要用非常手段嘛. 不過為了不要更加強束口的感覺我還織得鬆鬆的, 所以換針帶線時沒有拉, 產生了樓梯效應. 還好縫收做出來的圓滑邊緣可以中和一下.
The ladder effect.... 樓梯效應
The small ladder... 小樓梯
The twins were excited when they saw me photographing the cardigans. Will post pictures of the twins wearing them!
兩小看到我在拍外套成品時很高興, 知道有新毛衣穿了. 穿了毛衣在拍照放上來.
