Like I mentioned in the other post today, I've made two cardigans out of the Air Wool I was gifted. This is the other one. This was started for NaKniSweMo waaaaaaaaay back in 2010, but between finding buttons, figuring out the pockets, a cross-country move, and it becoming lost at the back of my knitting closet... let's just say it took me a bit longer than a month to finish. And then another year and a half to finally write up... Love it a ton, now that it's finished, though! I know some of what I'll talk about below are points I've already mentioned, but it'll be good to have them all together in a (Finally) Finished Object post.
The Yarn
As I have already said, it's Filatura Di Crosa Air Wool. Lovely, squishy, soft, easy to work with, hard to color-match, sadly discontinued.
The Pattern
Cumulus by Cirilia Rose. It's available for free on the Berroco website.
It's a pretty straightforward pattern, and knits up very quickly. Yay for bulky yarns! A note on the Berroco website read that this
sweater can be knit in 24 hours (not one day, but 24 hours knitting
time). I didn't knit it up that quickly, but I still got it mostly done in a month! Aside from the above delays in the finishing and the writing up, the knitting time itself did fall within the NaKniSweMo goal :)
Quite a lot on this one, actually.
- Smaller Gauge - After swatching, I decided to go with the US 10 1/2 needles, instead of the 11s. I reached gauge with the US11s, but by making the gauge a little denser, I get closer to my size (I'm between sizes in the pattern). By making the bigger size at the smaller gauge, I'll end up with both a warmer sweater and one that's closer to my actual size.
- Long Sleeves - Didn't like the sleeves in the original pattern. I'm not crazy about 3/4 sleeves anyway, and the puff sleeves just are not flattering on me. Also, it's a wool-blend sweater, in a heavy yarn, and I knit it in a little bit denser (and therefore warmer) gauge. Doesn't make sense if the sleeves aren't full length. Why have a warm sweater-coat with short sleeves? I made just basic straight sleeves, based off EZ Percentage Sweater math. Started with 23 stitches, increased 2 stitches every 6 rows (and only 1 stitch on the last increase) to give 42 stitches at the top of the sleeve as required in the pattern.
- Sleeves were knit in the round - I was altering the sleeves anyway. Besides, I don't like seaming if I can help it :)
- Sleeves grafted - 7 stitches put on holders at underarm (means that line of increases is centered on underside of arm). The stitches were then grafted to close the seam. The pattern had called for 6 stitches at the underarm, but of course, my sleeve construction was a little different than the pattern anyway.
- No Puff Hem - Like the puff sleeves, just not flattering for me. Not a major change in action, just meant that the body was knit on all one needle size, instead of changing to a larger needle after the border.
- No Pockets - I had debated for a long time about how to do the pockets. I love pockets, but I didn't really want them knit out of the Air Wool. With a yarn this bulky, there'd just be too much weight and bulk around my upper leg. Not flattering, and not really a convenient place for pockets for me. So, I'd debated making pockets out of a lighter weight yarn and sewing them on as patch pockets. I had left the opening for them, as per the instructions, then eventually changed my mind and seamed them shut instead. Invisible seaming, and you don't even notice the opening was there.
- Smaller buttons - I found 1.5" not 2" buttons, as called for. However, as I mentioned on the other sweater, it's a hard color to match. I found shell buttons for this one too, but they are a little smaller than what the pattern calls for. Oh well, they look pretty and still close the sweater :)
Overall, I love this sweater. It is warm and snuggly and soft, and had enough pattern details that there's some interest, and it was a relatively quick knit, even with having to calculate sleeves and then the delays in finishing. Yup, one of my favorites that I've made.
No comments:
Post a Comment