Hi everyone! It’s Cindy here. After I finished the Kaleidoscope Blanket I happened upon a crochet-a-long for the Fade to Light Jacket.
I made a cardigan early in my crochet career and found it difficult to do as the shaping wasn’t very well defined in the pattern. This cardigan is made with two kinds of Scheepjes yarn and is made from the top down so you get to try it on as you make it. I chose to do mine in the black & white version seen above as I felt this would go with more of my wardrobe. That version uses the Minimalism Whirl and Merino Soft in Pollock.
I started with a gauge swatch to make sure I was working to the right size and proceeded to work on the yolk (at the top of the sweater). When I completed that section I decided it was too big so I ripped it all out and started again at the next smaller size. I’m glad I did as it still seems a bit large but I can comfortably wear it with a shirt underneath.
The next section we worked on were the sleeves. You start the sleeve by continuing to work the whirl yarn and then switch to the solid color. Here the pattern calls for you to make decreases every few rows. If I make this again I will make the decreases closer together to make the sleeve slim down quicker. I also might like to make the sleeves from more of the gradient whirl so that would require buying an additional one.
Then it was on to the lower body where you alternate the gradient colored whirl with the solid color yarn to make the mosaic pattern. Since two rows were worked of each color you didn’t have to cut the yarn and just carried it up the side to the next row when needed. I was using two whirls and the solid color so this called for juggling three skeins of yarn to keep from tangling them. When I finished the whirl I did a few rows of the solid color.
The cardigan is finished by working the front band and around the neckline with the solid color. When I was all done I tried the cardigan on and was happy with the fit. The instructions call for the cardigan to be blocked. This helps to even out the stitches for you. Since I’d never blocked a garment I asked some yarny friends and consulted YouTube for advise. I hand washed my cardigan and then used the technique of rolling it in towels and then stepping on it to gently squeeze some of the water out.
I pinned the cardigan in place without stretching it and left it on the boards for a few days to make sure it was dry.
When I unpinned the cardigan and tried it on I was horrified to find that it had stretched a size or two! Oh no! What to do? Charlie used his material science background and felt if I wet the cardigan again with just a spray bottle and then put it in the dryer on low he was confident it would shrink back to the size it was before the hand washing.
Thankfully the cardigan regained the shape it was when I finished it.
I decided to leave the front of the cardigan without any buttons since I seem to never button any cardigan I have. The pattern was well written and easy to follow. The instructional images on the website helped with the understanding and there were also videos that helped too. I want to thank the designer Tatsiana of “Lilla Björn’s Crochet World” for a great pattern.
I’m joining the The Loop Scoop Yarny Link Party (formerly know as Hookin on Hump Day). You should stop by to see some of the other projects people have posted.
Whew! I’m so glad the dryer trick worked! I would have been afraid it would come out a child’s size. You did a wonderful job. Pretty and classy!
Cindy, it looks great!
I have crocheted a lot in the past, fine gauge baby christening shawls to afghan stitched bed spreads, but the only garments I ever made were for dolls or babies…LOL!
That cardigan is amazing!!
I have a hard time dong that craft now, because of the arthritis in my fingers causing them to go into spasms…
Nicely done and great to see you!
That’s a really smart cardigan, well worth the effort. I too would have been very nervous about shrinking the garment to size in the dryer. (I once tried the same with a hat I knitted which turned out too big. After the dryer it was so small I would have needed to shrink my head too to wear it!)
Cheers, Gail.
it looks syper great!!! and I like this style a lot it has something classical like designed by Coco ;O)
It’s just gorgeous and it looks beautiful on you!
Oh I’ve never blocked anything either, this post was so interesting, thank goodness you managed to get it back to size 👍
It’s good to put a face to the words that we read each day and I really love the black and white. I like my sweater is big and sloppy so I would not have had to dry it in the dryer it looks really nice on you and I love the colors and the yarn
WOW is that beautiful and amazing, bravo you!
Hari Om
Hi Cindy – Thanks for sharing your experience with this project – it does look ‘classic’ as the Weim-bros say. I did crochet a cardi for myself about 35 years ago – and wore it for fully a decade. Could be time to work another! YAM xx
That is beautiful! Well done!
It looks great. I so admire your crochet skill, I would never be able to juggle the yarn. Especially since I am sure the cats would try to help. ~Alasandra
They are beautiful!
It’s gorgeous Cindy! And you make a fabulous model too.
That is beyond gorgeous. What an amazing job. So beautiful!
Looks great!!!
Your cardigan is really lovely. Whenever I have tried to make sweaters, usually baby sweaters, they came out very block-y looking. Yours is so nice. And you make a great model:)
K.
Cindy the thunderous clapping you hear is coming from the south to you in WNY. What a beautiful x 87 sweater. It is perfect. Amazing you have very talented fingers. Well done
Hugs Cecilia
Wow! Those look really nice! I’ve always just crocheted afghans.
It looks so great! You are really good at making a handmade item!
Charlee: “That looks very cozy. Great for making muffins on, I bet!”
Chaplin: “Just don’t put your claws out when you’re doing that, Charlee. You know how that keeps putting little pulls in Dada’s robes!”