Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Garter Yoke Cardi Reveal

I've got a new sweater, and the weather has obligingly turned cool and cloudy/rainy so I can wear it!



Specs!

Pattern: Garter Yoke Cardi, from the Fall/Winter 08 Knit.1 magazine, size S (34)
Yarn: Ornaghi Merino Kind. I used about 830 yards of my main color--*just* over 5 skeins--and under half a skein each of green, blue, black, and cream (the pattern calls for 902 yards total).
Needles: Size 8 Takumi circulars. The pattern calls for size 7, but I knit really tightly.
Buttons: Shell, 5/8"
Modifications: Obviously, I added stripes in the garter stitch sections. This was partly to appease aforementioned Yarn Shop Owner, partly because I didn't have enough purple to do the sweater in one color. As previously discussed, I knit the entire thing at a tighter gauge than recommended--19.5 sts/4", as opposed to 18 sts/4". Finally, I knit the sleeves 1/2 inch longer than the 15" called for in the pattern, and added two more rows of garter stitch border at the end when that wasn't enough.
Photos: Graciously taken by Monita



This was a relatively easy pattern, and although Vogue is a good descriptor for how stylish the company's designs are, Vague is a better adjective for how the patterns are written. These are the patterns "How to" book authors are talking about when they advise tearful new knitters to take patterns in to yarn shops for exegisis of instructions.

That said, I liked that the pattern was 1) knit all in one piece and 2) easy to modify. My modifications were nothing groundshaking. I kept the waist shaping (very nice for giving the illusion that something exists where it does not), and worked the sleeves straight from underarm to cuff (this is how they get that little bell). I even left the sleeves bracelet-length, something that normally drives me out of my mind. If you wanted, though, one could really have a field day with the pattern, substituting thicker/thinner yarn, doing it two-tone with the body one color and the garter edges another, taking out the waist shaping and/or adding sleeve shaping. Doing an unshaped or belled body with only 3 buttons up top would be cute if you wanted this cardi à la Ysolda.

As you can see by the shirt I've got on under my sweater, I am totally incorrigible. But in spite of my initial misgivings about the colors, I do like this sweater, and I have already worn it as much as the weather has allowed, both out and about with jeans and at work with black trousers. And I'm pleased as can be that I got it done in just over a month!

2 comments:

Lise said...

I really like the cardigan, so gorgeous. It's a lovely color too.

melissa said...

go you! it looks great, and you knit it so fast! i am on a temporary knitting hiatus right now while i get other stuff done, so my own cardi is languishing right now.