New Year Resolutions

I don't really make New Year resolutions - I rarely keep them. I find it's more important to welcome what opportunities come your way. This time last year I had no idea that I would be introduced to the world of blogging.

This was the major opportunity that came my way last year. I have always knitted and consider myself reasonably competent, but when I discovered all the wonderful knitting blogs and sites out there, especially Ravelry, it gave me confidence to take my skills further. 2009 was the year I discovered that I don't have to rely on patterns for knitting and crocheting - I can use my skills and experience to design my own. This has given me such a wonderful sense of achievement and a drive to improve and take things even further.

So if I am going to make a New Year resolution for 2010 it will be to design more - and sharing these patterns is one of the delights.

With this idea in mind, I finally used up the aran yarn that had been sitting around for some time. It had started to be knitted up as a Kim Hargreaves pattern, but I lost interest in this. It was nearly knitted to a Debbie Bliss pattern , but again, my enthusiasm waned. So I let the yarn do the talking, and designed this little cardi myself.


The pattern is called Charlotte (I was reading Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks at the time I was knitting this). I used Debbie Bliss Donegal Aran Tweed and 5mm needles.
It has a scoop neck, a diamond border pattern around the edge of the body and plain sleeves.
It took no time at all to knit up and is very snug and versatile. It will be wearable throughout the year.

I'm pleased with the result, however, I knitted it up so quickly that I didn't write the pattern out properly as I went along. This has meant that I have had to spend longer typing up the pattern and checking it than it did to actually make the cardi!

The pattern will follow shortly.