I am not sure if you recall my first large scale frogging from several months ago, but I am absolutely delighted (and somewhat surprised at myself) to say it is finally done. Sewn. Blocked. The lot.
Contrasting edging.
To recap, this dressing gown, from a Debbie Bliss book that I borrowed from the library, looked delicious and I was very excited when I cast on in her own thick soft cashmere and merino blend Aran weight yarn. I knew it would take a while to make and also thought a dressing gown on a pre-walking baby was likely to be impractical, so I bought enough yarn to make the 24 month old size.
Well, at least, I thought I did.
One weekend, as I approached the last two balls of my main colour, I reviewed the pattern and noticed there was an awful lot of knitting still to be done and, fearing the worst, frantically emailed the Loveknitting people about getting my hands on more yarn from the same dye lot. They has two balls in stock, but could only take dye lot orders over the phone and their phones wouldn’t open until Monday morning. Greenwich Mean Time.
Despite calling right on the dot, their stock had been depleted and there was one solitary ball left. I ordered it and optimistically knit on. But with still a good length of the second sleeve to go, I ran out of yarn and after totally frogging it, and leaving a slightly irritated comment on the corresponding pattern on Ravelry, the balls of Debbie Bliss sat neglected in a bag for several months until I could face this nemesis knit again.
Dressing Gown by Debbie Bliss
Pattern: Dressing Gown
Source: Baby Knits Book by Debbie Bliss
Price: Free (I borrowed from the local library!) but you can buy the book for $45 AUD here.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in two shades of blue
Needle: 4mm and 5mm straight needles
The successfully knit and grafted collar thanks to the help of a fellow Raveler.
I finally cast on again, in the 18 month old size, and despite my loathing of the awkwardly worded repeat instruction, and the need to ask for help from a fellow Raveler to understand the collar instruction (details on both issues here), I did quite enjoy the new-for-me technique of working a contrasting edging down the front. It gives the gown a extra toasty, cosy look, and makes me think of grandfathers pottering about in slippers by crackling fires. Which is really what dressing gowns are all about!
The hems stuck out at an angle when simply turned up as per the pattern. So, I sewed them into place using slip stitch.
Once I’d knit all the parts, with a pleasing amount of yarn to spare, I got stuck into the seaming. Boy, was there was some seaming to be done! Again, the instructions were a little obscure. The pattern calls for the hems to be ‘turned up’ without any instructions to sew them, but they jutted out at an angle and to me this looked unfinished and strange, so I sewed the hems and cuffs into position.
So, while it is still a little on the big side for our not-quite walking 1 year old, the result is even more cuddly and cute than I had hoped.
W tests out the dressing gown on a cold winter morning.
