Uptight spring fashion

There was a period in late 1950s/ early 1960s Britain when this was as relaxed as things got vis-a-vis spring fashion. Our model has opted for a 3-ply cardigan, stepping down from the more wintery double knitting woollie, but please note that in true Brit fashion, the cardie is still buttoned all the way up to the neck.

Judging by that palm tree in the background, our model is clearly on an exotic tropical holiday, and may soon undo the top two buttons of her cardigan in order to hit the beach. She is reading a book about the local cuisine and is having to hold onto a chair for added support. Garlic in absolutely everything. Crikey.

His 'n' hers

The romance of his 'n' hers matching button-up cardigans. Is that a frisson of passion I can sense in the air? Or is it static from all that acrylic yarn?

Mr Cardigan is sharing a joke with the emu in the top right corner. Mrs Cardigan looks smug because she knows you will never be able to get your hair to look as biggety-up-and-away as hers.

Emu teenager's cardigan

"Oi, Sharon!"

"Wot?"

"Yer cardigan's on back to front."

Poor Sharon will never be a member of The Crochet Set.

Spring cardigan with crochet flowers

I have just finished knitting this spring cardigan for my little girl. It's adapted from a pattern in Candi Jensen's Knitting Loves Crochet book. The main body of the cardigan is knitted in a soft and bobbly blue acrylic and wool DK mix, and is decorated with a pretty crochet picot trim and crochet flowers.


Crochet flowers are so fun and quick to make, and they certainly made this cardigan look very special, for very little extra work. I'm now thinking about adding some to a charity-shop jumper or two - all the fun of making the flowers, without having to actually knit the jumper in the first place.

This cardigan is officially a Triumph of Thrift, as the main bobbly yarn was a bargain Ebay purchase (£3). The buttons came from my enormous stash of second-hand buttons. I was going to splash out on some delicious wool for the trim at Worthing's delectable Wool Bar but then visited a charity shop en route and snapped up 8 balls of various blues, pinks, and purple yarn for 10p a ball. Sorry, Wool Bar.