FO: Nubby Cardigan
Well, this sweater has been done for a while; I’ve worn it many times. However, it was hard to find a non-rainy-foggy day to take some photos. We finally got ONE sunny day, so in the morning I stood at the edge of the muddy field of winter wheat next to our building and Michael took some photos.
All in all, the sweater’s a success with caveats. The pattern, Nubby Cardigan, from the Autumn ’08 Knitscene was great, and I was excited to knit a sweater by designer Deborah Newton, whose book, Designing Knitwear, was a major inspiration when I was a newbie knitter. It was easy and fun to knit, and I think I did a bang-up job on the knitting, and my best job yet on the finishing. I’ve come to enjoy matress stitch–it’s like magic!
The collar hides the raglan sleeve shaping, and it’s those raglan sleeves that are the problem. It took me a while to figure out why the sweater wasn’t as comfortable as I thought it should be. It’s big enough around, but the armsyce for the raglan sleeves is too shallow. I’m long from collar bone to bust, and I need more length there. The sweater doesn’t hang properly for long. I also have to wear it buttoned or it starts to fall off my shoulders due to the heaviness of the gigantic collar. So, here in California, it’s only good for very cool days.
On the plus side, I like the Lamb’s Pride Worsted very much. A lot of knitters don’t seem to like single ply yarns, for reasons I don’t understand. This was fine to knit with, and the cables and textured stitch pattern worked very well. It’s also taking hard wearing pretty well too. The colors this yarn comes in are so rich, I’m sure I’ll make something else with it in the future. And I love the Jonah buttons I bought from Shelby of Heartstone Creations. They are ceramic and durable. Many’s the time I’ve taken the sweater off and dropped in on my desk at work and heard the buttons plink on the desktop, but they have remained chip free and as good as new.
In summary, I’m glad I knit the sweater; it was fun. I love the color and the buttons, and it keeps me nice and warm on a cool day. I just won’t knit straight raglans anymore. Good thing I don’t mind setting in sleeves!
Wow! I love that shawl collar! I always have to add to my raglan line depth as well. Stupid shoulders.
The color is fantastic on you. Well done!
Beautiful! It looks comfy and warm as well!
Thanks for the comment on raglan sleeves. I’m just about to start a project using that type of sleeve so I’ll be mindful of the armsyce.
I think you did a wonderful job knitting the sweater, and it looks great on you.
It looks gorgeous! I’ve been bitten by the shallow armscrye before in raglans – usually because of my compressed row gauge.
Because this project was knit back and forth (and created balance), you got to see Lamb’s Pride at its best. 🙂 If if was knit in the round, your project would have developed a pronounced bias.
Your sweater turned out beautiful! I love it! Congratulations!
I prefer set in shoulders, too. But – wow! That color is great on you! The sweater looks wonderful as modeled — hope you will be able to get some wear out of it!
You looks very nice. Your knitting works are fantastics.
What a beautiful sweater! The color is fantastic too.
The collar is very cool, and the color looks great on you!
Looks really cute on you, Brenda.
The sweater is gorgeous! I’m one of those knitters that dislikes single ply yarns and its because I’m such a tight knitter with a vice grip on the yarn that it tends to pull apart. Or unravel. I need a yarn with a good twist to it.
That looks great on you! The color is so vibrant and it looks very cozy and warm. It looks like tons of work, I am very impressed!
I love your sweater, Brenda! I think it’s interesting what Chris mentioned about the LPW’s tendency to bias in the round. I totally agree on that point, but I really never thought about it. It’s fabulous knit back and forth with cables though (which I loved about my Irish Hiking Scarf)
And high five to you for loving mattress stitch. Since learning it and doing it, I enjoy it too.
It’s gorgeous! I love the color and the buttons are perfect. Raglans aren’t the easiest shape to wear anyway, glad it worked out.
Single ply is perfect for Twined knitting, if you ever feel like knitting from both ends of the ball. I’ll have to pick up some Lamb’s Pride, I didn’t realize it was single ply. (I still barely check what the gauge is supposed to be……)