She Wears the Pants no. 15: Draped Cardigan

After I made no. 12, the draped minidress, I was less secure about my choice to size up to a M for this cardigan as well, but I forged ahead. My waist and hip measurements are M but my bust is S, so in this cardi I thought it was meaningful that it fit well about the hips.

The fabric is a drapey merino and tencel blend. It's a beautiful fabric, but it's relatively heavy and has quite a lot of drape for a loopback knit.

The pattern - I found it hilarious and so much fun to make!  It comes together really quickly and there's just nothing quite like Japanese patterns, I mean, the entire body is one single piece.

What I did determine: you should pull tension on the neckline binding between the shoulder seams, and then pull NO tension on it for the rest of the length of the cardigan. I pulled a little bit on it the whole way along, and I find the neckline is too loose, and the cardigan pulls inward because of my binding.

AND it's very big.  I like the sleeves a lot.  But the whole cardigan goes halfway to my knees!  Those models might possibly be really tall, but also my knit is heavy and has a tendency to pull downwards.

I'm happy about this result, but also disappointed, and I had to pause and remind myself that just lately I was confirming the need to make something multiple times before you get it right.  I'm not going to bother with buttons this time around - I had thought about interfacing the button part of the band, which would be wise if you can figure out which part it is!  It doesn't need to be stretched so the interfacing won't interfere that way - I would definitely interface in future, especially on a lighter knit.

There's nothing in my stash that works for this, but I definitely want to try again. I've been doing a lot of Alabama Chanin experimentation, and actually I think this might work perfectly with 2 layers of overlock cotton - they aren't very stretchy, but the two layers creates a substantial result.  There's room for improvement.  (I don't think I'll size down until I've tried a different fabric first.)

Papercut Patterns Fjord cardi x 2

As per my new usual, I made two of these.

The first fabric is a ponte.  It's my first time working with ponte.  I loved the idea of it and was really excited when I ordered it. (From Drygoods Design, who have so many amazing fabrics!) A problem with buying all my fabric online - I don't get to touch it, and I have to acquire a lot of fabric in order to even start matching fabric to patterns. I am trying not to hoard and it is frustrating to see the pile of fabric grow! (As always, I'll be moving soon enough.) 

So it ends up I do not like ponte.  It feels like cheap old polyester.
I made the XS and the long version of this cardi, best to make all my friends happy.  I didn't make any changes.  Up to the final step - attaching the front yoke, I did the entire thing on my overlocker without even ironing. 

This is partly because I hate the Singer Fashion Mate with a passion.  My entire review of this particular sewing machine is: don't get one.  If you have one and like it, you have founts of patience beyond mine.  Sewing with it is a trial.  The feed dogs are lazy.  Birds nests form from perfectly wound bobbins.  Don't even consider buttonholes - the alignment is off and it will make your buttonhole in the wrong place, and that's if it's willing to make it.

Back to the pattern: you are told to sew the bottom edge of the front yoke, but then to fold over the yoke SA to the inside to get a clean finish. That means the inevitable terrible corner at the bottom front is present - multiple layers that won't sew together neatly.  I recommend only sewing the front corner and leaving a very large SA at that bottom edge, in order to mitre or tuck in when you sew the front down.

Otherwise everything done smoothly.  I topstitched the yoke down which doesn't look very good.  Next time I'd probably baste the SA, iron it prior to attaching that front yoke, and then stitch in the ditch.

I found this a bit too long for my taste, and of course I continued to hate the fabric.  I think in the right fabric the length would drape nicely but I was excited to move onto the short version.
As usual for Papercut, the arms are quite loose.  Otherwise I was happy with the fit. I gave it to my climbing partner and she loves it.

Version 2 is the short version, in a heavy wool fabric with a kind of irregular "plaid" to it.  It does stretch a bit but feels more like mechanical stretch.  I didn't size down because I knew this bulky fabric would make everything fit more snugly.  I considered changing the hem to a ribbing, but the sleeves are bulky enough not to need different cuffs, and overall I wasn't sure I cared enough to go hunting for such specific findings.  I discovered on the short version that the pockets are basically in line with the armpits.  That's just a fact based on the pattern pieces.  Also, the fronts lie far open on me.  I expected to love this short version, but even careful attention didn't help me to get the trifecta of the hem band, front band and body to match up - the front band was way too short to have a seam allowance below the level of the hem band.  It took me ages to finish it as I just lost enthusiasm when it came to fixing these small final matters and applying the front collar, and it sat in a pile underneath my ironing board for over a month. I had been really excited about this, but completely forgot about that.

I finally finished it shortly before leaving (deja vu! Leaving again!) and honestly it's fine.  I like it. But I'm moving, so I'm sending it to a friend. This was quite a lesson to me.  Sometimes an item really does need time out to be a UFO, and you need that time to dissociate your hopes from the start of the project and the end result.  But the end result is often still lovable!  I was a bit sad to give this away in the end though my friend will hopefully get loads of wear out of it.

Channelling my inner grumpy old man today...

In order to fix it, I overlocked the hem band to the body at the level to allow the front facing to still be longer and overlap it a bit, so I could finish it. In this fabric it's hard to see any messes I made and overlocking is good for keeping things neat even when they seemed hopeless.  My "topstitching" of the front facing band is laughable.  Again, I think the whole jacket itself makes that an invisible issue.

This pattern hangs open a LOT in the front. There is enough fabric to close the front, but the drape and the hang are further out.  I would add a button of some kind if I were to make this again.  In the heavier fabric I think the short version is good and the size is great too - it's loose enough not to need different bands.

Straight Stitch Designs Laurelhurst cardi review

This pattern company is new to me. I have taken note of their patterns in the past but never been inspired at all.  However I'm cold at work and thought this might fulfill certain dreams of long and warm cardigans.  Here is the pattern.

It took awhile to get my pattern due to some trouble with the post. In the meantime I'd chosen my fabric - it's Oeko-Tex cotton from Switzerland - and I already decided that I'd give my first attempt to a friend - I thought she'd like the bright colours better than I would.  I made the size 2. The side pieces are big and so I had to shorten the pattern by 2 inches to make it fit on 1.5 meters of fabric.

It also had construction a bit more complex than I had anticipated.  Not difficult at all but I followed the directions closely.  I didn't have any issues folding over the neck or attaching it.  However, I did realise right away that I do not like this pattern.  It would be a little better in a fabric where the inside isn't white because the inside will be visible when the cardi is worn. 

Overall I feel like I'm wearing a badly cut random piece of fabric, rather than an actual sewn item of clothing.  I mean, it would be fine if it were an attempt at a waste-free cardi...but it's not.  Also, you cut into the front, creating a kind of open triangle, and then attach it to the back.  Because of the orientation of the cut's apex, you end up with the weakest part of that triangle at the shoulder, right where in general I would prefer a strong and trustworthy seam.

Reading through the Straight Stitch Designs philosophy I got that these patterns are for busy people who want creative looking clothes in a hurry.  I think that's not my style.  I need some finishing touches.

Fit wise - good.  Also because of the interesting cut and the L shape it creates, the front has an waterfall drape.  Again - I would prefer to achieve this effect with pleats at the shoulder, as in the Lisboa top.

This one was not for me, though the fit was fine.  I'm hoping my friend will like it but I won't make this pattern again.

Muse Jenna Cardi in merino sweater knit

When this first came out I was interested.  Cardigans are a big part of my wardrobe and I wasn't sure if I would ever achieve knitting one myself, or be dependent on Anthropologie forever for cool quirky knitted items.  So a pattern for sewing a cardigan, I immediately thought of sewing up some sweater knits, and also right away had a lot of modifications in mind.

Which was why I thought over this pattern for a very long time.  It seemed like a slippery slope of a pattern: make one, assess, then make 4 more with various modifications.  This is indeed exactly what is going to happen, but I managed to make that first one right before moving to Nepal, so the mods will have to wait a bit.

The fabric is heavy merino wool sweater knit from The Fabric Store, which I also used for one in my endless supply of undercover hoods (see here).  This would also have benefited from a double layer of fabric, both to give it more body and to make it thicker and cozier.

I very sadly don't know what size I chose.  But it was consistent with the size chart so I would say don't expect to be surprised if you follow the size chart.  The surprise is the sleeves, they were very very long and I lopped off a decent bit and they are still longish and a bit loose.  I would consider tapering them more in the future.

It took me a million years to get the button holes done, which was a terrible terrible experience.  I recommend topstitching that seam allowance down on the far side of the button placket, so that it's out of the way of buttonholes.  I could also have interfaced the placket, but didn't.  On loose fabrics, consider that!

This first cardi is as I expected.  There are many things I plan to tweak for my Magical Perfect Cardi to be.  I'll make another version in something stable, to update these pattern changes like the sleeves.  I will eventually raise the front neck by a solid 3" because I like my cardigans to have full front coverage.  I would lengthen it above the wide hem band by 2" and then add pockets!  And eventually I plan to also add a hood.  And try the other version with the cool little shoulder gathers...

Overall I do like this first version and I am pretty pleased I found a use for these glass buttons.  I am looking forward to that slippery slope of pattern modifications which I also expect to be a fantastic opportunity for some upcycling.  My op-shop-addicted self starts literally drooling at the idea of all the different bits that I could mix and match to make more of these...

Miette by Andi Satterlund - a two year project

I cast this on in Ukraine but realised the lace was too difficult at that time and stopped it.  I had considered using Malabrigo Rios (I ended up making my second simple sweater with it - here) but I thought the single colour that I had originally planned to use would indeed be nicer.  The yarn is Cascade Heathers 220, the colour is called iridescence, it is pale mauve from a distance but close up it's a rainbow and very beautiful. 

So I really cast on in 2016 while I was in Poland travelling with my cousin.  I got through the first 20 rows and then ran out of knitting time...until now.  I had progressed through increasingly challenging projects in Nepal and felt ready to tackle this monster!

This is a much harder project that the simple pullover I made before, and for that reason I'm glad I put so much time in between the two.  I had to relearn everything in Nepal - yarn overs, and ssk and all of it...maybe it will stick in my head this time?  The awesome thing is how my projects inadvertently were a progression of skills.  I started with the legwarmers, doing nothing new, but really needing my project to fit me.  Then I made the cowl which reminded me how to concentrate as you only have two rows of pattern but they are slightly offset.  After that I made the handwarmers and was really amazed how ok it was to do the thumb gusset and the thumb overall - plus those went into use RIGHT AWAY! The cables in my earwarmer made me more confident doing new things - so by the time I picked this back up my confidence had grown.

I picked this up at row 20, and with one week left in Nepal I was on a mission to get it done!!  I was a knitting machine!  I didn't finish it before leaving Pheriche - I had the body and one sleeve done and determined to finish the rest in Kathmandu.  As always with knitting, I have found that the minute you stop a project you doom it to potential eternity.

My colleagues in Pheriche totally laughed at the diminutive size of this thing.  They couldn't believe it was for me.  I made the XS and it's really small looking! But when I put it on, noting there were still no ribbing front bits, it seemed to stretch to fit.  So I guess blocking is when you really make something your size. 

I'm not sure what difficulty level people place this sweater at, but I believe it's relatively challenging for a beginner.  The lace rows mean that you are endlessly counting, ugh!  If you miss a stitch, you have to put it back into the right quadrant of the sweater.  I was totally mad at the single purl row at the bottom of the sweater, not realising it really is pattern!  And after that I didn't have the energy to figure out knitting and purling into my back loops, it was too hard, so I went with normal k2p2 for the bindings.  (During my last week in Pheriche I had no internet to check on things!)

 Also I thought the way the sleeves are continued makes it really hard to actually not have a hole in the armpit.  I assume this is beginner problems.  You only pick up two stitches at the bottom, then you knit those stitches together...on my first armpit that led to a massive hole.  I left a large yarn tail luckily so I kind of darned that thing shut while weaving in the ends.  I used a very short US 8 round needle for the sleeves and it was kind of a pain but I did the same with the second sleeve (not enough of a pain to switch to DPNs).  I didn't have a smaller needle for the sleeves so the cuffs were also done with US8.  I tried to be more clever about the second sleeve but even trying to pick up strategic stitches, there is a huge hole. It seems to me like you need to pick up 3-4 stitches to avoid having a hole.

I did get around to relearning purling in the back loops for my button bindings.  It is not all that easy and for some reason I had a real block at first but I got the hang of it.  However I don't think it looks better at all and it is *so much* harder than just purling, so I'm not convinced.  Or I'm doing it wrong?

The pattern read that I needed 7 buttons, which I already had gotten in Kathmandu, so I didn't double check.  It ends up you need 8 and I could have gotten one more!  I finally finished the bands after the holidays - didn't manage to finish it in Nepal, but I'm still really pleased it's done.  I feel more confident and ready to make larger sweater projects that will actually fill gaps in my wardrobe - I'm not really confident that I'll wear this much since it is best suited to going over dresses.