I finished the Yule cardigan for Niece the Younger last weekend. It's a combination of two different patterns (the cardigan and the panda chart) from the same Family Circle Knitting book that Jackie gave me, with the only mod being that I made full-length sleeves instead of three-quarters (because who wants to see a three-year-old with cold forearms?).
Pandas are Niece the Younger's absolute favourite animal. She has several panda dolls, and we have to stop and look at Telus ads with pandas in them if she spots one.
I thought I was going to do the cardigan in pink to match the other 90% of the nieces' wardrobes, but Niece the Younger informed me her favourite colour is "blue!", and so I bought the yarn while she was around to approve it.
The cardigan and the white of the panda are done in King Cole Baby DK, while the black is left over from the tiger jacket I made Niece the Elder a couple of years ago.
I like the cardigan's shape, and the shirt-style collar. I always picture Niece the Younger in 1960s-style clothes, but she's been very particular about dressing herself since she was two. I hope this cardigan makes it into the repetoire!
Meanwhile, I had a start-everything frenzy in the second half of the weekend.
First, I discovered a Nicky Epstein free pattern for an empire-waisted swing jacket. I'm not going to link to it until I have some photos of my own version done, but basically I'm doing the bodice as shown, and then changing the sleeve length (to long sleeves again — what's with giving loose, swingy wool jackets short sleeves?). I'm also changing the collar stitch and colour, but keeping its shape. Right now there's no photo because it just looks like a swath of green heathered yarn. More on that when it's recognisable.
Some projects, on the other hand, need to be photographed when they're not recognisable. Here's the other jacket I started last weekend:
Yes, that's a jacket, all three rows of 609 stitches each of it. I had it distributed over four circular needles so I could ensure the fabric wasn't twisted before I joined it for knitting in the round (that just happened a minute before I took this photo). It's going to be a swirl jacket. This is the second attempt — the first time, I added a half-twist the first time I worked it in the round to "fix" a twist that wasn't actually there, so I had to rip it all out and start again. This too is part of the process. The good news is I have now made it to the part of the pattern where I get to start decreasing. After the current round is completed, I'll be down to only 592 stitches! You have to take your victories where you can find them.