Twirling

Well, radio has rather swamped knitting lately in the list of things I've posted about at any length. This has been down to several things but primarily:

1) I've knitted a lot of bunting and that's boring

2) I've been busy

The only knitting time I've had lately has been bus time and, unfortunately, bus knitting does not lend itself to anything particularly interesting or complex. A little while ago I started (another) scarf but its 300+ stitches are not Park & Ride proof. So I've reverted to boring knitting.

Last year I knitted a twirly skirt for my niece, which she refers to as her "Auntie Becca Skirt". Unfortunately, my sister is now sick of the sight of the Auntie Becca Skirt and has been seeking every opportunity keep it off my niece so that she wears something different for a change. With dubious reasoning, I decided I should make another one so that at least it wasn't the same colours over and over again.

Unfortunately, the original source website for the pattern has now closed down. Fortunately, there's a copy hosted (no comment on the legality or copyright status of this). If you're looking for a good pattern for a child's skirt, you can't get better than this. Trust me, it's a massive hit and it is as easy as it comes. It's particularly ideal for anyone looking to build confidence with knitting in the round. Or anyone looking to knit without the risk of elbowing fellow bus passengers.

Because it calls for cotton in worsted weight, I've never been able to find a perfect yarn for it. Instead I used King Cole bamboo cotton, which is double knit rather than worsted. The first time I knitted it I tried to work out the tension and massively over-compensated. The result was a skirt that will probably fit my niece until she's at least six. Although it's massively over-sized, I've used the same number of stitches it this time round because I know it'll fit (with the help of plenty of elastic) and, more importantly, I know it will twirl perfectly. 

The best thing about the yarn is that it's totally indestructible. Initially I was worried about stripes in pale cream and deep turquoise washing together. Nope, nothing bled. I was a bit concerned about the slightly hitchy nature of cotton with its multiple threads. Nope, no big hitches. I don't know how many times my niece has worn it, or how many times my sister has washed it but I'm pretty certain that the answer to both is: a lot. And it still looks great.

The one and only drawback to the pattern is that as it increases, the rows can get pretty long but you don't notice if you knit it in the round. Perfect for the bus.

So all I can say to my sister is: Sorry. Another skirt will be incoming shortly.