Pam Alison Knits

It’s taken a while to line up the knitting projects that I want to make this year. I thought I’d firmed up my thoughts a couple of times, even started some projects, but quickly realised they weren’t quite where my heart is going right now. All good ideas, all still in the pot for future consideration. It turns out that I just needed a bit of time to let things percolate before the best ideas would surface. Let some new vistas gently work their magic and, if not quite sending me in new directions, then certainly throwing a different light on the old paths.

One item that was relatively easy to decide upon, and to get started, was a second “Swale” cardigan by Martin Storey. This is the pattern I used for my Big Blue Slouch and I’m knitting a version of it for my sister. Whilst I work almost exclusively in wool, her preference is for cotton knitwear, so I took my time to find a combination that would be nice for me to knit and for her to wear. I’ve settled on a combination of Scheepjes’ “Stone Washed” yarn – a blend of 78% cotton and 22% acrylic in the colour Larimar – held together with Fyberspates’ “Gleem Lace” – another blend, this time 55% Bluefaced Leicester and 45% silk in the colour Shoreline. The cotton is a light DK weight and the strand of laceweight provides the extra bit of bulk needed to get the right gauge for the pattern. Held together, these are making a very soft fabric which should be really lovely to wear and, despite the high cotton content, is actually pleasant to knit. I’m working on the welt which is this easy-to-remember combination of cables and lace, but soon I’ll be whizzing along through acres and acres of plain stocking stitch.

The only other project currently on my needles is a pair of socks in a slightly disappointing self-striping yarn. I worked on the first sock during a recent trip to Suffolk and, although I have now finished it, the jury is still out. The yarn looked a lot better in the skein than it does knitted up because the colours don’t change quickly enough. There’s a long section of the bright green and brown, then a long section of a plummy pink and olive heading into purple and teal by the toe of the sock. I’ll complete the second sock and I don’t doubt I’ll wear them, but I wouldn’t personally opt for this kind of striping again.

I did, finally, make a start on a cardigan for myself, but during our trip I realised that I don’t need any more thick layers just at the moment so I’ve abandoned this one and will ponder a project in a 4-ply wool instead. That can wait until my socks are finished and I’ve done some more work on the Swale. It’s been a while since I’ve knitted a 4-ply cardigan or jumper so it will make a nice change. Not to mention the pleasure of looking through all my patterns to choose one I’m keen to start on.

Once the Swale is finished, and that is likely to be quite some time in the future, I’m going to make a start on the second big project of the year. I’ve increasingly felt the need of a longline cardigan (sometimes referred to as a “coatigan”) and when I saw this pattern on Rowan’s website it had me scurrying to my local yarn shop in search of their magazine from summer 2021. This is “Elke” by Martin Storey (I’m not kidding, every time I see an irresistible pattern from Rowan it’s a Martin Storey design). I love everything about it: those cornrow chevrons, the pockets, the simple shape. I’ll make it just a tiny bit shorter and I’ll place the pockets a little higher, plus I’ll add some kind of closure – buttons with perhaps loops instead of buttonholes. Oh, and I’m going to knit it in a bright red. This hadn’t crossed my mind until I bought the most gorgeous bright red scarf on my holiday and realised what a statement piece this coatigan would be in a similar stand-out shade.

My final firm plan for the year is a slouchy, casual jumper in a jazzy combination of yarns just for kicking around at home or as a warm layer on swim days come the autumn. This idea was prompted by my sister turfing out some yarns from her stash including some balls of a vibrant sock yarn. I wouldn’t want a whole garment from just that, but held double with a strand of magenta coned wool and, I think, using garter stitch (as in the upper section of my swatch) this would make a jolly garment.

So, four garments and a few more socks are definitely going to be accomplished this year. And if there should be any time left over, a couple of sleeveless slipunders. It feels good to know what I’ll be doing for the year and to feel that the indecisive days are behind me.