Vogue Knitting Spring Summer 2013

When I started this blog I never intended to just post my published pieces.  I have been so busy knitting and preparing other submissions that  it seems as if that is all that I have time to post.  The latest issue  of Vogue Knitting is out now- Spring/Summer 2013.  I designed and knit the Cropped Tank and Cardigan #14.

Cropped Tank and Cardigan

In this view you can see more of the striping sequence.

The runways were full of cropped tops, and although I would not sport a belly baring piece under a cardigan, it is a great warm weather look for those who would.   Of course, the tank could be easily  lengthened to suit your needs- just knit more rows to the underarm .

I never knit with novelty yarns, and was surprised at how wonderful they were to use, and how much I loved the finished product.  Even DH who kindly ran to mail this for me at the nth moment of the deadline, picked it up and said "I really like this- more than the usual sweaters you send in."! The sweater was quite a quick knit- a  pleasant change for me, because I usually knit at a very small gauge. This is on my "to knit" list!

As today is St. Patrick's day, I thought I would list some of my favorite Aran knitting books.  Extraordinary that such a small remote isle would inspire a knitting tradition that is admired and copied world wide.

Shelagh Hollingsworth

Alice Starmore- She is amazing!

Gladys Thompson

I own and love this leaflet

The age of some of those books just reminds of how timeless those designs are.  And, cable knitting is far simpler than it looks, and is so much more rewarding and interesting to knit than plain stockinette. Start small- a hat, or pillow, and you will be hooked.
 The first sweater my mother knit me was a gorgeous cable encrusted pullover of lanolin rich aran yarn from Ireland.  I loved helping her pick out the cables- even then I was fascinated by knitting.  I wore that sweater often, although, as I recall, it was very warm, and a little itchy!
Do you have a favorite Aran book or leaflet?I 'd love to hear...