Stealth Crochet Revealed

Back in February, March and April last year (when the Resident Radiologist was still working in Edinburgh and living away a couple of nights a week) , I worked on a surprise crochet project for him. I couldn't blog about it at the time as he's known to lurk round here from time to time.


Anyway, at the start of December he got the project (a scarf) for his birthday, so it's now fair game for blogging and I managed to get a photo of him wearing it at the weekend.


The yarn is Rowanspun 4ply, which was a gift from Float'n'Purl. The scarf was crocheted on a 4mm hook using double crochet along it's length to get long-ways stripes. The ends were finished with a couple of rows of double crochet picket up and worked across the stripes in the charcoal colour (the photos above were prior to finishing).


The colours are perfect for the RR's wardrobe (the colours are best in the indoor photo - apologies for the camera shake) and to be honest, it's not spend much time away from his neck since he opened the wrapping paper, which is very gratifying!

A parcel in the post.

A couple of weeks ago I entered Ali's blogiversary draw for goodies from her stash and was drawn second (which tickled me immensly as I never win anything). Anyway, the parcel arrived in the post this morning.


The first thing that I noticed was that it smelled wonderful - a light pretty perfume which I found was coming from the bar of handmade glycerin soap. There was also a bar of fairtrade chocolate (which I love), a colinette pattern booklet, a card and six skeins of Rowanspun 4 ply in absolutely beautiful colours.


And look at the card - it has a little knitting motif at the top - so cute.


I don't know what I'll use the yarn for yet, but I really like Rowanspun 4 ply and the colours are wonderful, so I'm sure they'll not be in the stash for too long! Many thanks Ali!

Presenting Klaralund...

The finishing went like a dream yesterday evening and in the end I didn't think she really needed a blocking. I crocheted the body to the sleeves, going in through the front of the body just underneath the top garter ridge, then through the sleeve, picking up the yarn loop at the back and bringing it through again. This way there is a tiny row of crochet stitches hidden under the top garter ridge.



The details:
Pattern - my own copying a picture of Klaralund by Cornelia Tuttle-Hamilton
Yarn - Rowanspun 4 ply held double in shades Midnight, Jade and Holly (708, 709 and 712, not necessarily in that order). 12 skeins.
Needles - 5mm circular for body, 4.5mm DPN's and straights for arms.
3.5mm crochet hook for finishing.

The dark blue-green panels are midnight and holly held together, the light blue-green panels are midnight and jade and the green edges are jade and holly together.

The darker panels have come out well colour-wise in the photos, but the paler sections are not so pale as they look and the variation between the colour sections is really quite subtle.

I'm definitely going to knit this again - maybe in Noro for next winter. Two things I would definitely change (possibly the only things), are that I would knit the shoulder saddles a bit broader so that the join sits lower on the body. I think that would give this jumper slightly better proportions. I would also knit the sleeves a bit longer. They were down over my hands when I knitted them, but once I joined them to the body, they were pulled up about 2 inches. Otherwise, I love her!