A Test Knit for NaKniSweMo

Yes, yes, November is NaKniSweMo (National Knit a Sweater in a Month).  But as we know, I'm still playing catchup with some of my project reporting.  At any rate, this sweater was knit in November, even if I'm writing about it in February.  It was a test knit that corresponded perfectly to NaKniSweMo.   Perfect timing!  Ta-da:  motivation!  I was definitely going to finish NaKniSweMo this time!

 

 My project is raveled here.  And yes, it was a test knit, so this is a photo-heavy post.  I always try to take lots of notes and lots of pictures on test knits, hoping to be as helpful as possible to the designer and to anyone working on the pattern later.

The Yarn:

 Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK.  It's a discontinued yarn, or else I'd have linked to the yarn company webpage.  If you're looking for something similar, Jimmy Beans Wool has a search for comparable yarns.  I liked it.  One of those yarns that you wonder "why on earth did they discontinue it?" but there are lots of those about.  It's a little scratchy, but not irritatingly so, and my skin's pretty sensitive.  It's wool, so one does expect a little bit of that texture.  This just isn't an 'extra fine' merino.  I had a whole bag of it from a lot sale I'd stumbled on a few years ago.  One of those cases of 'love the yarn; love the color; love the sale price; the project will come to me.'  Well, a project came to me!

 

The Pattern:

The Thekla Cardigan is available for sale online through Ravelry.  According to the description on it's Ravelry page:

The Thekla Cardigan is a top-down seamless construction, that can be tried on for fit as you go. The cardigan is quite stretchy and therefore designed with negative ease. It features 3/4 length sleeves. The button band and buttonhole band are knit after finishing the body and sleeves by picking up stitches from the side seams.

I like that it's a lighter weight yarn, and with negative ease.  Makes it a little more form-fitting and thus a little less casual than some of my other cardigans.  And the button band gives you a chance to showcase some fun buttons if you want :)  I found some nice patterned brass ones that look very pretty with the burgundy.

You can see the 2 stitch patterns in the picture below.  The ribbing makes it a very stretchy fabric, so it can be quite clingy. 

In addition to the ribbing, the waist shaping brings it  Not a boxy sweater at all!

 

Notes, Alterations or Adjustments:

• I used US3 needles to reach gauge.  This gave me the proper stitch count, but made my rows a little short.  
• I couldn't find 1" buttons (either 7/8" or 1 1/8" buttons) so between the shorter rows and the bigger buttons, my front panels are 9 garter ridges (17 rows, plus bind off), instead of 9 rows. I needed the wider button bands to support the larger buttons.

• Also with the wider front panels, I put in 2 rows of crochet chain stitch, instead of only one.  The big buttons needed the extra support, and I hate it when shirts and cardigans pucker at the front.
• One final note about the button bands.  The pattern shows a contrasting yarn used as the button bands. I just used the same burgundy.  (a) I like it, (b) I have lots of it, and (c) I didn't have any yarn that contrasted well with the burgundy.
• I made the body about an inch or so longer. This makes the hemline hit my hips at a much more comfortable point for me, less riding up. 

• I added a few extra stitches in the bust.  I didn't want things pulling too much.  Still not enough to be up to the next size, but just a little bit more room to stretch.  The stitches were then decreased as I started the ribbing in about the same spacing as the later decreases at the waist.  Not very noticeable at all in the finished project.  The nice thing about top-down sweaters - very easy to customize for the top-heavy builds!  
• I made the sleeves slightly shorter. My arms are on the shorter side, and the sleeve length as given was not comfortable for me. I always end up pushing 3/4 sleeves up to my elbows anyway.  So, once I saw where the sleeves would reach on me, I tinked back and stopped the sleeves right over the elbow instead. Still followed the cuff directions, only a little sooner. I think I'm actually going to change the sleeves yet again, though.  With it being a wool sweater, and living in Texas and all, it's a pretty warm sweater.  The elbow-length sleeves aren't warm enough for a sweater body that's as warm as this one - does that make sense?  Instead, I think I'm going to extend the sleeves down to be full-length sleeves.

Overall:

I definitely like this pattern. It's nice and form-fitting, so less of a boxy, casual, bumming around type sweater.  And as I grow up, I need those in my wardrobe too.  It's an easy pattern to get into one's hands, so it goes pretty quickly.  I did knit the whole thing in about a month, after all.  So... comfy, cute, quick knit (as sweaters go) - what's not to like?  :)

And of course, a required kitty picture.  I think every craft project I've made since we got him (certainly every knitting project) has Scruffy investigating/approving/sitting on whatever it is I'm trying to photograph!  And as his face says "Yeah? So? I'm the kitty!"