cosy{me}

This post has been a long time coming! I have had this cardigan finished for a while. I posted photos on Ravelry already. I even showed it off in my last video post. However, the time needed to photograph it properly – to due it justice – and then sit down and write was difficult to find these past weeks.

Pattern: Cosy{me} by Nadia Cretin-Lechenne

Yarn: Cascade Ecological Wool in colourway 8014 Vanilla

Needles: 5.00mm for the ribbing, 5.5mm for body & sleeves

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I absolutely love this cardigan. The aran weight lace gives it a slightly different look than in the worsted weight, which is called for in the pattern. Years ago, when I re-started knitting, I remember stumbling on some aran weight lace on display in a shop. I was smitten. There is something about thick yarn in lace that I just love. I can’t put my finger on the exact reason. Rustic, maybe?

I then stumbled on Kate’s cosy{me} and remembered all over again why I wanted to knit this: Absolutely gorgeous.

There were some modifications that I made to this pattern. One modification that I literally pontificated/waffled about for days, I ended up not making … and I have regrets but I will explain that in a moment.

In the meantime, this is how I modified this pattern:

• Due to gauge differences in choosing an aran weight yarn, I knit the size XS to result in the size M.
• Added 1 “seam” stitch to each front in order that when I pick up the button band, I would still have 2 knit stitches in the 2×2 ribbed bottom. I hate that look of the picked up band leaving just one knit row along the fronts when finishing … Is this just me being overly detailed?! Probably.
• 3 garter stitches at each lower front button band to combat “rolling”.

• Lengthened the body to 19” – knit 11” prior to starting the the v-neck shaping which is about 3” longer than called for.

• Made the S sleeves, rather than the XS — had read about the slim/narrow sleeve problem. Really glad I made this call – they fit perfectly with a blouse underneath.

So, I pontificated. Yup. That’s what I did. Sweaters and cardigans that are bought commercially generally do not contain waist shaping unless you are spending more on said sweater. This pattern has no waist shaping and I suspect it is due to the lace.

With no waist shaping, and it would have taken very little in this cardigan while still knitting up quickly, the result is a relaxed or boxy fit.

If you look at the photo above, look specifically under my right arm (the left of the photo) and you will see a bunch of extra fabric under my arm. Where my thumb is? That marks my actual waist. There is about 5” of fabric there that I need in my hips and bust, but not my waist.

Again, if you look at the photo below, under my bust there is also a bunch of excess fabric when I bring the fronts together. I’m being pernickety here but I’ll explain why.

To add a little bit of waist shaping, even if it was only in the back panel and omitted on the fronts, would have taken this cardigan from great to awesome. This is an instance in which I wish I had honoured my intuition and written in some shaping.

Because there is very little instruction given for the v-neck decreases within the lace, I want to mention that this makes the pattern quite complicated for a beginner.

When I am working decreases such as these, I print out two copies of the chart. One for each front and I mark them: Left Front and Right Front. At the top of the chart, I write the decreases that correspond with each column. As I work the decrease, I highlight that vertical row (or column). This effectively removes that stitch that I decreased from the chart when I am reading it on the next row. I do the same, but in reverse (think mirrors) when working the armhole shaping (hence highlights on each side of the chart). It’s blurred to protect the pattern, as it is for purchase, but I hope you can get the gist from the photo below.

And the photo below shows the results. Each front is exactly the same but mirrored since I was able to ensure I could replicate what I knit by marking up my chart to the extent that I did. While this approach takes patience and a little math to keep track of your decreases, I have never had to rip back for any reason when working this way.

Finally, the buttons! I purchased them at the time I bought the yarn, which is very unusual for me. They are raw wood so I am thinking I will varnish and re-attach them. The end result of these with the cardigan works beautifully if I do say so myself :)

There is enough yarn left over to make Norah a matching cosy{me} … I am so tempted to make her a size 2. I could even do matching buttons. Is that too much?! I feel that this is a small window that we can have matching knits …

Have you ever finished something and wished you had followed your intuition? or, on the flipside, wished you hadn’t?

Have a wonderful week full of woolly goodness and I hope much quality time with your needles :)