It is overdue but it is finished! I started this test knit back in early February. It was moving along very quickly but we had some weekends of rough teething (we are officially up to 3 teeth!) and my knitting was laid to the side. Do you experience a lull in momentum on a project when you constantly have to put it aside? I know I do.
I have wanted a new black cardigan for a long time – unfortunately this is going to be way to warm for a summer-over-the-shoulders-cardigan but it will be perfect for the rest of this winter and then the fall. It is almost more like a jacket due to the collar.
Pattern: Twylem by Vanessa Smith
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Worsted in colour black
Needles: 5.5mm for the yoke, collar and body; 5.00mm for the sleeves; 4.00mm for the belt
I really wanted to test this because of the super cool collar. The construction was interesting – I loved working the top-down collar with the yoke, then picking up and working the ribbing. It makes the collar bulky. I think that was very smart that it isn’t double layered all the way to the bottom of the cardigan – it would have been a lot of heavy fabric and warmth.
The seaming on this is minimal – the collar join at the back of the neck is a 3-needle bind-off. But the one seam is the double collar edge to the lower single ribbing. It was challenging to figure out how to seam it to get a clear line all the way across. Vanessa’s tutorials are fantastic and the finished edge looks perfect.
While I was knitting this I lost 10lbs. So by the time I got to the sleeves, it was too big. I did decide to size down the sleeves, though, and knit the 34 1/4” size sleeves instead of the 36” sleeves. I’m glad I did as it actually helped with the rest of the sweater even though it is too big. I should have knit the 34 1/4” instead of the 36”. It’s only 2” but in this case, for me, it made a big difference. And here I was concerned about whether I should knit the 38”! It would have been huge!
That’s the difficult thing about knitting while you are pregnant or just postpartum – everything for me felt too tight and now that I am getting back to my pre-pregnancy size, everything is too big! It is a small problem to have but when knitting sweaters, it is a little frustrating :)
How have you been doing with fit ‘issues’ lately?
That's actually one of the reasons I didn't knit much when I had my little one… or just knit shawls and scarves. I didn't have the brain power and I didn't have the stamina! I'm getting back into it now though.
beautiful! love the collar – the whole thing looks so comfy. and you look wonderful!
I'm having similar fit issues. I didn't gain much in pregnancy but my proportions have changed. Only one of my pre-pregnancy sweaters fits so I'd like to knit new ones but since I'm still nursing I'm hesitant to knit a lot of sweaters for this new size in case it changes again after weaning. Then again I'm not in a hurry to wean and my daughter doesn't appear to be either and I'm tired of waiting.
That's exactly what happened to me! My proportions changed. Even after J weaned himself, things are just different :-) the joys of having children… I wouldn't trade it for the world thou haha
Thank you Jennifer!!
I think you were into something there ;) I'm going to knit a sweater for my Dad next instead of something else for me!
That's beautiful! And useful. You could just consider it the 'oversized sweater' category in your wardrobe and wear it over other layers when it's really cold!
So true! That's exactly what I intend to do :)