I just finished knitting a new cardigan. And when I say “just” I mean, I finished the knitting on Tuesday, blocked it Wednesday, made the buttons yesterday on my lunch hour, sewed them on right after work, and then ran outside for a photo shoot before it got too dark to do it. So, pretty much hot off the presses then.
Antler Cardigan
This is the Antler Cardigan from Tin Can Knits. I am considering it my Scotland souvenir knit, because I bought the 100% Shetland Wool on my trip.
I’ve made Tin Can Knits patterns before, but this was my first time using their free app. It won’t be the last. I really liked that it only showed the instructions for the size I was knitting, and that it had all of the row counters I needed right there in the app, without having to leave the pattern display.
When I tried this sweater on before blocking it was puffy and short, but after blocking it grew considerably. In fact, it grew too much, and I tossed it in the drier a few times, five minutes at a time, to bring it back down to a reasonable size. I may have given it five minutes too many, in retrospect, because it’s gotten back some of its puffiness. I was hoping for it to have a real lived-in look, with a soft, drapey feel, but it’s a bit stiff. Maybe I just have to actually spend some time living in it, and it will loosen up. That’s not going to be much of a burden. I like it a lot, and it goes with everything 🙂
I’m really pleased with the way the cables came out. And they’re fun to knit, too. Maybe my next project needs to involve more cables 🤔
- Pattern: Antler Cardigan by Tin Can Knits
- Yarn: The Croft Shetland Colours by West Yorkshire Spinners in color #639 Laxfirth
- Buttons: Made by me following this method, but without the tweedy bits
- Modifications: I found the neckline to be wider than I would like, so I grabbed my handy crochet hook and slip-stitched across the top. It brought the neck in nicely.
Striped Yoke Cardigan
The other sweater I want to show you isn’t even close to being hot off the press. In fact, I finished it at this time last year, and I just never got around to taking pictures.
This is an improvised version of my own Striped Yoke Cardigan pattern. I rarely wear the original prototype, and I thought I’d like to make one in colors that are more compatible with my wardrobe. I also wanted to try some improvements to the yoke that I had been thinking about. It’s been a year now, and I don’t remember precise details, but my adjustments went something like this:
- Cast on fewer stitches to make the neckline a tighter crew neck
- Add some back neck shaping so it would be higher in the back than the front
- Knit an extra few rows to make up for the fact that the sweater was going to be riding up higher on my shoulders
- Re-work the increases to take the smaller cast-on into account, but still end with the right number of stitches at the end of the yoke
I’m really pleased with the changes. I love the new shape of the neck, and there is more room in the yoke, which is good because the prototype was always kind of snug on me there. I also think I knit a bigger size. Either that, or my gauge was a bit looser than it was 10 years ago (a distinct possibility).
- Pattern: Striped Yoke Cardigan by me!
- Yarn: Cascade 220, in colors I can’t remember. If I find the leftovers somewhere, I’ll update this post 🙂
- Buttons: Made by me using this method
- Modifications: Changes to the yoke, as mentioned above, and I didn’t do any of the edging in the contrast color
Also
Looking at these photos, I am thinking I really ought to have a full-length mirror nearby before I press the shutter 😁
I mean, my hair is messy and falling out of the clip I had it in. My plaid shirt is crooked and the tag is sticking up in the back. My striped sweater is crooked and not smoothly buttoned. I’m just kind of a mess. But then, you’re looking at the real me. At least nobody can accuse me of being so well put together that I look fake, LOL!
And hey, I remembered to change my jewelry and my magnetic glasses toppers to match my outfits, so it seems I was doing something right 😜
Just keeping it real over here.
