Scrap down- Toy sweater

I am still working away on my campaign to use up the unloved and neglected part balls that litter my stash.

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This week's effort is part of a bigger project that I will probably share on Friday, it is a doll sweater, made following Pull-Over for 16in Waldorf Dolls by Jennifer Constant, using some leftovers of Lion brand Wool ease in a dark green and 4.5mm needles.

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The first run through I followed the pattern as stated to work the body, it came out way too big so after a big of huffing and puffing and scowling at it I ripped it back. I am a little vague about where I went back to- I ended up with 64 sts around the body after casting on for the underarms. The sleeves have slightly different stitch counts, I think I missed picking up a YO increase when I was ripping it back. They do not look quite as different in real life as in this photo, plus it is for a toy so there is no way I am making it a third time!

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What pleases me even more about this project is this time last year I was making almost exactly the same sweater, in the same yarn, only in full grown man sized. Only this time it took a couple of hours rather than four solid weeks!

Yarn review- Lion Brand Wool Ease

I am quite prepared to admit to having become some what of a yarn snob since I discovered all the lovely yarns out there in the world. However, sometimes what you need is not fancy yarn, but something practical.

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Wool ease sits nicely in this category, while still being good to work with.

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It is 80% acrylic and 20% wool, nice and soft and best of all seriously easy care. It can be machine washed and even tumbled according to the label. It is also quite affordable, about £3.50 for 85g, and has a big range of colours.

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My first contact with it was for making my first ever sweater, I think it did a pretty good job of it. The colours, price and easy care aspects were what swayed me to it.

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There is a little squeakiness as you knit, especially if you are using acrylic needles, and if you are truly adverse to acrylics you would most likely find it too shiny. Availability in the UK might be about to take a tumble as the company that imports it is closing down to move back to the U.S., they are currently having a big sale but no word on if anyone will be taking over the supply.

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I bought a bit of a mountain of it for making socks as Christmas presents, unfortunately it is not so good for socks. The ones I made last year got holes in less than six months so it has come off my sock list.

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I am thinking of making a blanket with the yarn mountain as there is not enough of each colour for a whole large project and if I stripe green and red I will look like an elf!