I’ve written about mosaic artist Martin Cheek before and I’m sure I’ll write about him again. This post is a book review of his Mosaics book
in The Weekend Crafter series published by Rankin Street Press. It contains 20 projects that can cater to all levels of mosaic enthusiast. There are small and large projects, but most won’t take very long to complete and look very satisfying to create. The basic instructions section is informative and I’ve read about some things that were new to me. It’s never too late to learn something new. Now let me apply it to my mosaic work. Some projects can be done with no grout, which takes away some of the mess factor. But sometimes you do want to make a mess, right? If you’re looking for a good book to inspire you and get you started on mosaic this one is definitely for you. Martin’s your guy…
Have you read?
Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern
Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.
Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.
It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.
This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.
Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.
Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.
The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.
This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.
[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]