I made this cardigan for a fellow artist, in barter for some of her beautiful weaving work. Unfortunately, that means I’m stuck with bad mannequin photos, since I don’t have a live model who fits the sweater!
Pattern: Red Spire Cardigan (I wrote this pattern for By Hand Serial Lookbook No. 5)
Yarn: Quince & Co Owl (10 skeins in color Bog)
Needles: US 7s
Size: 39″
Trying to get a 13-year-old to be serious during a photoshoot is a fruitless task . . .
I knit this sweater for me, but hated how it looked on – I should have guessed, since bat-wing cropped is not my best look 🙂 I think it’s adorable on her, though.
Pattern: Turtle Dove
Yar: Illimani Amelie (56% mulberry silk / 40% baby alpaca / 4% merino) – 5 skeins (164 yds/ea) in color Hunter
Needles: US 10s and 9s (ribbing)
Size: M (54.25″)
It’s too bad, because this yarn is so incredibly soft, I’d love to wear it next to my skin! I bought a SQ’s worth at The Mariner’s Daughter in Nova Scotia, and then really struggled to come up with a pattern that was a good match to the yarn – I think this one is, it just isn’t my style.
This one goes in the “fail” category – I substituted yarn and I thought I got gauge, but it must not have been the case as this came out WAY too small. I don’t like several of the design elements, as well – too much waist shaping for me, the sleeves don’t fit well at the shoulders (makes me look like a linebacker), and I don’t like how the collar turned out (I like the idea of folding the collar over to make it double-thick, but when I knit the button bands up to the sides of the collar, one side tweaked out really badly and I couldn’t fix it, even with blocking).
Pattern: White Pepper Cardigan by Alicia Plummer
Yarn: Hinterland Range (50% alpaca / 50% wool) – four skeins in Maple, with partial skeins in Honey and Snow for the sleeve striping
Needles: US 8s (I tried going up a size to get bigger gauge, but it made the fabric too open and floppy)
Size: 41″
Pattern: Lakeland by Fiona Alice
Size: M (44″)
Needles: US 8s
Yarn: Five skeins (198 yds/ea) of Hinterland Range (50% Rambouillet / 50% alpaca) in color Honey
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I recently finished knitting one of Brooklyn Tweed’s new patterns; I liked the focus on texture and the unique shaping of this piece. It took a while – the stitch pattern calls for a K1 P1 rib every other row – but the FO is beautiful and wearable. My only hesitation is that the fabric produced by this yarn, while very soft and lovely to wear, feels somewhat fragile, as if it may stretch under the weight of the garment (even though it’s got a little nylon in the fiber). I was very careful when wet blocking it, because it could have easily stretched way out of shape, and I even tossed it in the dryer for 20 minutes at the end to tighten everything up a little. The sweater is already a little on the long side, so I’d prefer that it not stretch any further!
I went with the second smallest size – not my usual size range, but even though this garment calls for a lot of positive ease, anything larger seemed just gigantic. I’m glad I chose the size I did, as this piece is already pretty oversized all over – any bigger and it would have felt like draping on an overcoat.
Pattern: Dunes Dolman Cardigan
Yarn: Magpie Fibers Swanky DK (80% superwash merino / 10% cashmere / 10% nylon) – 5 skeins (250 yds/ea) in Pretty in Pink
Needles: US 6s and US 4s (for ribbing)
Size: 46″
A great basic – I love this grey color, it’s warm and cozy, goes with everything, and a flattering fit. Plus, it knit up in just five days! The yarn is 100% yak and it feels really wonderful – like alpaca, but without so much drape and stretch.
Pattern: The Dog Walker
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Yakkity Aran (100% yak) – 6 skeins (160 yds/ea) in color Peppercorn
Needles: US 10s and US 8s (for broken ribbing)
Size: 42″ (I was worried that this would be too big, but the pattern recommended 6-8″ of ease, and this would have given me about 4″ – I don’t actually think it gave me that much ease, so I’m glad I went with this size!)
The perfect go-anywhere, where-with-anything cardigan! I think that Fossil is the perfect neutral, and because it’s knit in Loft, it’s lightweight enough to be worn year-round, and feels light as a feather.
Pattern: Willapa Cardigan
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Loft in color Fossil (7 skeins)
Size: 38-40″
Needles: US 5s
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I finished this in a week – lots of car knitting on the way to vacation! – as a test knit for Jenn Steingass of Knit.Love.Wool. I used Brooklyn Tweed’s new fingering weight yarn Peerie, and love how it knits up at a looser gauge – the resulting fabric is very soft but light. I’m not as crazy about the color as I was when I bought the skeins – I would have preferred something more summery in retrospect, especially since I opted for the short-sleeve version.
Pattern: Anaashah by Knit.Love.Wool
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed’s Peerie (100% domestic merino) – 5 skeins (210 yds/ea) in Gingersnap and one skein in Muslin
Needles: US 5s (I used US 3s for the sleeve ribbing, but stuck with US 5s for the bottom hem ribbing)
Size: C (finished bust of 43″, which should have given me over 5″ of positive ease, but I think I ended up with a lot less than that)
Also, be warned – this yarn REALLY stretches when it’s blocked! I think it grew by at least 3″ – so much so that it went from a fairly short fit (15″ from armpit to hem) to overly long (at least 17″, maybe longer). It bothers me enough that I’m going to re-block it and be more careful this time about setting the length.
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I’ve been working on this pattern for some time now – it gives me a chance for one of my favorite colorwork combinations, speckles and complementary solids. I love this particular color combo, but I have another in the works to test out some tweaks to the pattern before it’s ready for publishing.
The yarn is Long Dog Yarn – in my opinion, her speckles and tonal solids are some of the most beautiful, saturated and brilliant yarn colors out there! The yarns are all fingering weight, knit held double to approximate a worsted weight knit on US 6s.
Pattern coming soon!
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I love this version of my Red Spire Cardigan, knit in the luxurious and utterly wonderful Clever Camel yarn.
This yarn (actually made from camel hair!) has such loft and lightness, but with a wonderful cozy warmth. It’s truly perfect year-round!
Yarn: 11 skeins of Clever Camel (100% baby camel), color Naked, 110 yds/ea
Needles: US 7s or 8s (uh-oh, guess I didn’t take very good notes . . .)
Size: 41″
My third time knitting this pattern – I love it in every color! This time I tried a different yarn combo:
Pattern: Walk in the Woods pullover
Yarns: Camilla Vad Lambswool (color Tordenbla) (5 skeins @ 50g/ea) and Isager Silk Mohair (color 47) (5 skeins)
Size: 39″
Needles: US 5s (I had to go down one size to get gauge)
I’ve just released my newest pattern – Walk in the Woods. This comfortable, classic pullover is perfect for unpredictable spring weather – wear it alone or over a light layer, stick it under your raincoat or over a skirt – this is a wear-anywhere piece that knits up quick! Little details add to the overall appeal of the pullover; the hem splits right at the side seam to give you extra movement and keeps the edge from rising up, and the seamed construction keeps the shoulders tidy, not slouchy. The yarn – two types of Isager knit double-stranded – makes the whole garment light and warm.
I’ve already knit three of these sweaters, and am close to finishing a fourth – they are so perfect for all weather and every occasion, I want one in every color! You can find the pattern now on Ravelry.
Pattern: Walk in the Woods Pullover
Yarn: Isager Strik Alpaca 2 and Isager Strik Tweed
Needles: US 6s
I convinced my reluctant two oldest daughters to help me model these sweaters, and I love how the photos showcase the different ways the sweaters can be sized. On Bella (wearing the taupe sweater), the look is slightly oversized; on Emmersen (wearing the black sweater), the garment is worn with a slight bit of negative ease, and on me (wearing the magenta sweater), the sweater is worn in a traditional style, with just an inch or two of positive ease. Three different looks, all flattering and classic!
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Working a fade on my own improvised cardigan . . .
Yarn (from top down): Junkyarn DK in colors Fleur (1 skein), Lara (2 skeins), Dolly (2 skeins), and Diana (2 skeins)
Needles: US 6s
The sweater is constructed so that it’s completely reversible, but I like how the colors blend and fade better on the reverse stockinette side 🙂
I was intrigued by Andrea Mowry’s new design in Amirisu, but I didn’t think that the big, lacy collar would work well for me, so I replaced it with a wide ribbed band (in black, instead of white).
Pattern: Hachinosu by Andrea Mowry
Yarn: YOTH Daughter (100% Domestic Rambouillet and Merino wool blend) – 1 ¼ skeins Natural Vanilla, and 2 skeins + a little bit of a Daughter Mini skein in Truffle (330 yds/ea)
Needles: US 6s
Size: 40″ (this turned out pretty tight, especially in the sleeves, so I skipped a few of the sleeve decrease. I was surprised by the tight, skimpy fit, since 40″ should have given me about 3″ of positive ease).
YOTH’s Daughter yarn is very “farmy,” with a lot of texture and at this gauge, it creates a very sturdy, dense fabric. At first it wasn’t what I expected for a little cardigan in this style, but it grew on me once the project was finished and blocked. I was really worried about bleeding during the wet blocking, so I added one cup of white vinegar and I didn’t let the sweater soak for more than 10-20 minutes, and it came out with no visible color transfer.
I’m not sure how I feel about this one – I usually don’t like cropped cardis (they’re not super flattering for my build), and the same goes for cardis that are so open in the front, without a lot of coverage (even though I knit the button bands almost 4″ wide!) But I think it might work well in the spring – to pull on when it’s cool in the morning, but without a lot of bulk or smothery softness once it starts to warm up. I do like the black with the natural vanilla color, and the way the wide stripes look, but this is one I’ll have to wear a few times before I decide whether it has a permanent place in my wardrobe.
Pattern: Personal design
Yarn: MC: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock (90% superwash merino / 10% nylon) color Nekkid – 5 skeins (1650 yds)
CC: Junkyarn Smooth Sock 4-ply (75% superwash merion / 25% nylon) color Eternal Sailor Moon – 1 skein (463 yds – used every yard)
(NOTE: Knit with yarns held doubled throughout)
Gauge: 19 sts x 25.5 rows
Needles: US 6s
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Pattern: Lighthouse Pullover
Yarn: YOTH Big Sister (80% superwash merino / 10% cashmere / 10% nylon) – 6 skeins Beetroot and one partial skein each of Rhubarb and Sea Salt
Needles: US 6s
Size: 39 1/4″
Mods: Knit body 1″ longer (to 16″)
Love the fit! This yarn is incredibly soft and it creates a nice form-fitting silhouette. It tends to fuzz and pill a little with wear, but I don’t mind 🙂 I’m not usually all that crazy about how yoked pullovers look – they really broaden out my shoulders and chest – but the colorwork is beautiful and well worth it on this one.
I pulled together a customized pattern to showcase these gorgeous yarns – it incorporates some pieces of Albini Cardigan and some of the color scheme of BlueSand Cardigan. The yarn is a merino, silk and yak blend, and you cannot believe how silky soft it feels! And, I love how it takes color . . . because it’s so soft, I think it’s likely going to pill, but I’m okay with that 🙂 The merino helps give it some structure, but it still has a great deal of drape, so I wanted a project that wasn’t likely to stretch out of shape or try to show off a lot of texture.
This cardigan differs from most that I’ve been knitting lately — closer fitting, not overly long or oversized. I like the close fit and the fact that the crewneck means I don’t have to wear anything under it.
Yarn: Nice & Knit DK Luxe (65/20/15% merino/silk/yak) – 3 skeins Harpoon, 2 skeins Hazy Skies, 1 skein Dockside
Needles: US 6s
Size: Knit to approx. 39″ (about 2″ of positive ease)
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I love this one – oh boy! One of the best combinations of pattern and yarn that I’ve ever knit 🙂
Pattern: Gramps Cardigan by Kate Oakes
Yarn: YOTH Daughter in Natural Vanilla (100% domestic Rambouillet and Merino blend) – 4 skeins (330 yds/ea)
Size: 40″ (this supposedly gives me about 3″ of positive ease)
Needles; US 7s and US 6s (ribbing)
Buttons: from Never Not Knitting’s online shop (not currently available)
I really loved working with YOTH Daughter – it’s got such a sheepy, wooly feel to it, but it knits up beautifully, as well – it feels soft, warm, and light, all at the same time! The color is so natural that it really goes with everything. My only thought is maybe I should have made the sleeves a little wider – they are a perfect fit when I’m wearing a t-shirt, but a little tight if I want to wear a long-sleeve button-down shirt underneath. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing about it!
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I chose this pattern from Brooklyn Tweed’s latest collection because it seemed simple, classic, and comfy – something that I could easily throw on with a pair jeans in just about any situation. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to knit an entire garment from BT’s marled yarns, which I think knit up beautifully in this basic turtleneck.
Pattern: Meyer by Veronica Avery
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Shelter (8 skeins in colorway Narwhal)
Needles: US 7s and US 6s (for ribbing) – as usual, I had to go down a needle size to get gauge
Size: 39 1/2″ – theoretically, this should give me about 2 1/2″ of ease, which seems perfect for a cozy turtleneck that I want to fit comfortably, but not too oversized.
My only issue with the FO is that I didn’t block it very aggressively, so it’s not quite as long as I would like it to be; I think that can be cured by another blocking, but I decided to wear it for a while first and see how I feel about the length once it’s been out of my closet a few times. I can always re-block it when I need to wash it, I suppose . . .
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I love fingerweight yarn knit on larger needles – it makes such soft, floaty fabric that is so lovely to wear! Julie Asselin’s yarns are particularly beautiful because of how the color is just varied enough to provide visual interest. Even though this simple pattern required a lot of stockinette stitch, it was a meditative pleasure to knit, and didn’t take much longer than a week or so.
Yarn: Julie Asselin’s Leizu Fingering (90% merino / 10% silk) – 3 skeins (420 yds/ea) in color Romance
Pattern: Holiday
Needles: US 5s (as usual, I had to go down a size or two to get gauge)
Size: 41 1/4″ (I don’t think this really gives me 3-3 1/2″ of positive ease – probably the finished sweater is closer to 40″. The fit is relaxed and casual without feeling too slouchy or baggy. This size was the second smallest, and I definitely didn’t think that the smallest size of any pattern would be a good fit for me!)
