One of my dearest friends asked me a while back to make her a long cardigan; something she could wear around the house, but also easily go out to town with. Something simple, cozy and elegant. I finally got around to catching up on all my current projects/orders, so now I can dedicate myself to this project.

I did play around with some ideas, and we both agreed on the type of cardigan this would be. I quickly put together a mood board as a reminder of where we are going with this project.

Images from Pinterest. Featured knitwear designers: LaurenAstonDesigns - Dreamy Oversized Cardigan; all other images are from boutique brands (L to R: Beginning Boutique, VICI, and The Mason Jar)

The idea.

My friend wanted a piece in either pink tones or coffee. Her favorite color, and one she wears a lot and very well, is pink. After looking through the online shops for the right color, I finally decided to settle on a soft pink color that would complement her skin-tone and her wardrobe. The cardigan would be of a basic nature: no frills, no eye-catching ornaments. Something that she can wear to go shopping, for brunch, or just around the house without feeling over/under dressed. So stockinette stitch will be the main star of this cardigan! Because she is a tall (er) girl, we agreed that this would be a long cardigan. I am thinking more below the knee type of situation. 

The yarn.

I did settle on KnitPick's Daydream yarn in its Tulip shade. I think this will be perfect. The yarn is a blend of Superfine Alpaca (69%), Nylon (24%) and Merino Wool (7%). It is very soft and airy, as the fibers have been blown into a fine silky mesh. Each ball is rolled into 142 yards / 50g. I did order 10 balls of this yarn, and we will see how much this project actually requires. 

Thoughts on the final product.

Things to note.

The stats.

The Yarn.

I am using KnitPick's City Tweed DK in Habanero. It is a Merino (55%), Superfine Alpaca (25%) and Donegal Tweed (20%) blend, that is very fun to work with and so warm to wear! I especially love the colors this yarn comes in. I had chosen the Habanero color a few years back, and had finally decided to knit something with it. I had originally bought only 4 balls, but then as I decided to make of it a cardigan, I had to order 6 more to ensure I would have enough to complete my project. I have not used all of the yarn, and will share the total yardage once I have re-knit this cardigan.

The Needles.

The recommended needle size for this yarn is US 5 (3.75mm) to US 7 (4.5mm). The pattern I am planning to use for this remake calls for US 10 (6mm) and 7mm circular needles. However, after swatching in both US 7 and US 10, I decided to stick with a US 7 for my project, as I want the cardigan to be more sturdy.

The Pattern.

My original cardigan was a make it as you go project. However, with having unravelled it, I figured I might as well try a pattern. I have been wanting to try out Mette's (PetiteKnit) patterns for a while. I have seen her works around the web, and seen other knitters make and wear her creations. They are so simple yet beautiful. And since I still wanted to stick with a basic cardigan to add to my wardrobe, I figured it would be the perfect occasion to try out Mette's Novice Cardigan. After purchasing the pattern, and swatching my gauge, I had to do some calculations to determine what size I should knit in, since I had already decided to stick with a US 7 needle size in lieu of the US 10. Based on my calculations, I would need to go a size up to achieve the desired size. So normally based on Mette's bust circumference guide, I would have knit a size L, but with my needle size and gauge, I would need to follow the instructions for an XL size, which will bring me back to an L. If you are curious as to how to make this kind of calculation/adjustments, let me know in the comments and I will put together a tutorial for you all.

Have you had to start over on a project? How did it go for you? Was it the right decision?

You know when you start a project and then leave it unattended for a while, and when you return to it, you don't remember how it was supposed to look like, and then you start over, only to set it back and forget it, and so when you come back to it many moons later, well - you realize that you have to start over again?

That is what happened with this current project I am working on.

The yarn.

Some people have a well defined project in mind, before they buy all the necessary tools. When it comes to yarn, I am the opposite. Yarn tends to guide the end result for me. In this case, I had fallen for Berroco Yarn's Ultra Alpaca Light yarn in its Turquoise Mix color # 04294. The yarn is a glorious blend of 50/50 wool and alpaca in sport weight yarn, and the color - depending on the lighting varies from a shade of blue to the ones of deep forest green. The yarn is very soft to the touch and provides a lot of warmth, making it perfect for fall/winter garments. 

Needle size.

The recommended needle size US 5 (3.75mm) but I have opted for US 4 (3.50mm).

The pattern.

I enjoy knitting off my memory, coming up with constructions, trying out new techniques. For this sweater, originally I had planned to knit it in a bottom-top construction. The choice of this construction was mostly based on my lack of knowledge when it came to knitting top-down. I was quite intimidated 2-3 years ago by this type of construction and would not dare to attempt it. Fast forward to 2020, I have finally learned how to knit in this particular way, and I have been kicking myself for not trying it sooner! That being said, because of how lightweight the yarn is, I wanted to make a garment that would be airy and functional. This sweater, knitted top-down, is pretty simple in nature, if you don't account for its well defined neckline and the cable-raglan lines.

Currently.

I finally got to the point where I have separated the arm sections, and I am now knitting in the round. I have used about 100g of the yarn, and expect the total sweater to take about 500g. I will let you know the final yardage once the project is completed.

What are you currently working on?

When I decided to tackle my yarn stash back in 2018, I must say that I was not very successful in achieving my goals. Yes, I did not really purchase any new yarn, but neither did I actually do any major knitting as I had hoped.

Stash Busting in 2020

Fast forward to 2020, and I must say that I have since the beginning of the year really tackled my reserves, producing various pieces from hats, to sweaters and even a vest.

Diving into my yarn reserve has enabled me to be more creative, to freely experiment with new techniques and create new processes, which I hope to share along on this blog with you all.

Renewed Goals

My goal as I dive again into the world of the written word, is to share my works (which you can also follow on my instagram accounts @kalieta and @kalietaco), perfect the art of the handmade, and eventually develop patterns for others to enjoy.

Knitting Blogs

The knitting community and the knitting world is such a beautiful place to be. Sadly, there are not many traditional bloggers out there whose niche is knitting. Most thrive on youtube and/or instagram (and they do a wonderful job too!). Don't get me wrong; I have considered both as primary digital platforms, but always find myself drawn to traditional blogging. Perhaps it is because this is where I started back in the early 2000s when blogging was still new, who knows? But it would be nice to read more of the makers stories, of how they develop their handmade works, and get nuggets of their wisdom.

• Do you know any knitters who are also traditional bloggers? If yes, please share their blogs in the comments below.
• Any projects that you promised yourself to tackle a few months/years ago but found only materialized much later on in your life? I would love to hear about your experience(s).