Finish line (FO!)

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve had a “regular” FO post around here. I think it was when I finished Salina before Rhinebeck 2 years ago!

Pattern: My own Cooke Cardigan (rav link)

Yarn: Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, in Macaw, 12 hanks.

Time Elapsed: Only about a week!

Pattern Notes/Modifications: While I liked all of the designs I drew up for my Knitscene Collection, The Cooke Cardigan was definitely the piece I could most easily see fitting into my day-to-day wardrobe. I have the need to dress pretty professionally in my day job, and the lustre of the Canopy Worsted, combined with the open nature of the design, absolutely meet that requirement. (Let me please take this opportunity to say that Canopy is one of my very favorite yarns I’ve ever worked with. It’s soft, it’s slightly shiny, it’s not too heavy, it’s not too warm, the colors are fantastic. LOVE.) So very soon after getting notice that the Issue’s preview was live, I visited my fave ‘LYS’ and got a whack of Canopy in the lovely “Macaw” color.

The design was written with top-heavy figures in mind, and included details especially appropriate for that shape: The front panels of the cardigan have no waist shaping, the edges are trimmed in i-cord to keep rolling to a minimum and maximize the vertical lines of the sweater, etc. Since I’m not a top-heavy shape, and wanted a more relaxed, fluid feel to the cardigan I made a few changes.

I think this is important enough to repeat. When I urge knitters to examine a written pattern closely and modify to suit their needs, I mean it! You’ll wind up with sweaters you love that way, and knowing people love their versions of your design is manna for any designer.

Since having the boys, my waist is definitely thicker than my “old self”‘s waist ever was. But despite that, I still have a bunch of curve going on in front. So the first two changes I made to the pattern as written were to increase the overall width of the stockinette front panels by 1” each and then add waist shaping to those panels to match the back.

(Worn closed so that you can better compare it to the magazine picture.) This ensured that the sweater would fit my larger bust and hips, but still contour to my figure.

I also knew I wanted a straighter sleeve–I find them easier to push up, which is what I constantly do with my sweaters, and I liked the more relaxed look of a straighter sleeve, too.

Finally, I eliminated the i-cord edging. I knew I wanted the cardigan’s edges to scallop and roll a little more freely. The sample’s crisp lines were lovely and met what I wanted to do with the design, but didn’t fit my own personal vision for my wardrobe.

Aside from that, I knit the 38” size exactly as written.

(Normally, I’d suggest that someone with a figure like mine shorten the sweater’s length; however, I have the torso length of a 6′ woman, so I didn’t find that necessary!)

All in all, I had a wonderful little stint of entirely decadent knitting (not a single deadline attached!) and wound up with a piece I’m going to pull out time and time again this fall. What could be better?

(I’m off to Sock Summit later this week, but please stop by again on Wednesday, when I participate in the Fiber College Blog Tour!. I’m so stinking excited to teach there, it’s not even funny.)

13 thoughts on “Finish line (FO!)

  1. I love the modifications that you made to the original design. I also prefer it without the i-cord, and it seems much more appropriate for daily wear (at least in terms of my ‘daily wear’ needs). Thanks for posting this project and explaining what changes you made 🙂

    p.s. I am a 6′ woman…and I’m super short waisted. Now I know who got my waist 🙂

  2. lovely knitterly wonder. ditto for the model!

  3. I love this so much! Simple yet still so many great added touches.

  4. Gorgeous design Amy! It looks wonderful paired with your orange shirt! Nice mods!

  5. Beautiful sweater. (And I love the shorter hair!)

  6. Great sweater. I love how you explained all the mods to get such a perfect fit.
    Also, where did you get that great shirt?

  7. Your cardi, hair, & accessories all look super cute, Amy! Love the shot of the back-neck detail with your freckles. 🙂

  8. You look very nice! The color and the fit are just perfect!

  9. Beautiful cardigan! I love how simple it is! I like the collar details too!

  10. I am 6 feet tall, so I paid even closer attention as I read your post. Your sweater is a nice weight and has great lines. Smashing! Might just have to add it to my queue …

    Best wishes!

  11. I’m so thrilled that you’re featured in this issue – and the patterns are simple and perfect for every day! congrats again

  12. It’s lovely! I must confess that when I saw the picture of the original I thought ‘That’s not me’, so I think it’s really interesting to see a slightly modified version of the same pattern that I really like! I think it’s really helpful that you show how you modify your own pattern for your own personal wear. I recently finished Sebasco, which was a great knitting experience, especially given it’s the first garment I’ve knitted for myself. The only modification I made was to shorten it an inch, and it fits fantastically! I haven’t managed to take any photos yet, but I’ve already worn it to work twice. I love it! Thank you 🙂

  13. Super cute cardigan.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TweetShare