Everyday Cardigan

I joined in on a knit-along, hosted by Kim. It was great fun, since this cardgan was a really fast knit. It's done in Peace Fleece, a mohair/wool blend, where the wools from Russia and the US are combined. The colours of all the shades are vibrant and the flecks of this yarn look different under different lighting conditions. The everyday cardigan is a simple, boxy, cropped cardigan with dropped shoulders. It knits up from 40-52 inches and seems to flatter just about everyone.


Most of the knitters decided to lengthen the body, but I'm slightly short-waisted so cropped tops tend to fit me better. The sleeve shape was very triangular and this was one of the key features that most people adjusted.

This pattern is available from Peace Fleece, althouh I had purchased mine from Moondance in Scotland .

Pattern Source: Yarn: # of balls: Notions: Needles: Meterage: Yarn Source: Colour: Size: Started: Finished: Resting Period: Recipient :

Peace Fleece Peace Fleece Worsted 5 skeins 8 buttons (20mm) 4.50mm, 5.00mm for a tension of 16.5/4 inches 200 yards/4oz Moondance Yarns Kamchatka Sea Moss between 1st and 2nd size (41 inch) 26 March 2004 13 April None Me

A really fast knit on biggish needles. I think that this is more like a jacket than a cardigan. The texture of the Peace Fleece changes a lot after washing. Before washing, it had a much more matted appearance and the yarn was less hairy. Once it was washed (using some dishwashing liquid), the yarn really fluffed up and the sheepy smell disappeared.





I've made a few alterations to the pattern, adjusting for a wider collar, narrower body, less batwing like sleeves and symmetry on the ribbing. Don't ask, but I like balance in a design.



Project Notes

1. As with all major projects, I tend to reknit some major part of it more than once. I thought to do hte sleeves first and simultaneously, to get them out of the way. What a big mistake! The sleeves were so triangular, that I just couldn't live with them, so they went into the frog pond.

I did 2 sleeves and most of the front during my weekend in Paris. Mostly done while on the train or waiting for a train, but I did work up a bit of it in the Salon Du Thé in the Musee D'Orsay.



2. So the sleeve adjustments that I finally did. I cast on 46 stitches and increased 2 stitches every end every 6 rows. It gave a much gentler slope and didn't use significantly more yarn. I still had enough to finish my cardian without breaking into the 6th skein.



3. Selecting buttons can always be a trial. It can really make or break a project. Good buttons can be expensive and hard to find. The first ones that I picked went really well with the yarn, but were a tad too big. In the end, I settled for these:



I liked the front as much as the back of these buttons, which were oval shaped. I decided to put them on the right side up, as the 27 notched it might be a bit too noticeable for my tastes.





Here's my firend Kristine, modelling it. What I wouldn't give to be a 6 foot tall gorgeous blonde ...





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