FO: Tweedy Aran Cardigan

Norah Gaughan's Tweedy Aran Cardigan (Interweave Knits Winter 2001/2002 and 'the top 5:The Best of Interweave Knits Readers’ Choice Awards') is FINISHED. I love, love LOVE this cardigan.

 I need your help - the front closure is a problem. I eschewed buttons (shut up, that is too a word) because I thought I'd prefer a zipper. I'm still not sure. One friend says to just use a couple of those hook and eye closures here and there. That looks good on her (and she and I have kind of the same body type) but I always feel like a gaping sack of spuds when my clothes are only partly buttoned, so I'm not sure. I am tending towards zipper (which I would only zip up in the coldest weather, but it's nice to have the option), or maybe some kind of "frog" (are they really called that?) closure- something simple. I'm not a fan of cardigans with no closure option (don't like the shawl pin or chopstick option much for me). What would your vote be, please?

So, details... I knit this in Patons Jet (70% wool/30% alpaca).

I knit the fronts as one piece with some extra stitches in the middle, and steeked it.  I did this because knitting one big piece seems more tolerable to my goldfish brain than lots of small ones- and because I was afraid the variegations would stripe differently enough on the two fronts that it would bother me.  Looking at the FO, I don't think it would have mattered, but I still am pleased I did it this way.

Because the fronts were done that way, it means I forgot the neck shaping!  In turn this led to great angst surrounding the collar which I knit and frogged no less than 5 times in the end.  Halfway through that number, at my friend Marie's suggestion, I stitched the neck edge into the shape it should have been when it came off the needles... and it only took 2 or 3 more goes to get the collar right after that!

Things I learned- relearned cabling!  Learned to do that "fancy rib", which looks really cool.  Took as many tries as I needed to take to get the collar really right, and now I'm glad (thanks Marie).  Best of all, this took less than a month to knit- which is awesome, and ENTIRELY a consequence of re-jigging the way I purl.  Thanks Vivian.  It really has made knitting new again for me. 

Also, this is the first cardigan I have knit for myself that is the right size.  I normally guess at a size, going for a BIG one, and then if I err, I err on the size of BIGNESS.  I end up with unwearably huge knits.  This time I actually bit the bullet and measured my bust, and knit a finished size an inch or so *smaller*.  Ending up with a nicely fitted cardi with a bit of negative ease that will still fit me when I've lost the rest of my weight was great. Lesson learnt!

Comments

[Cynthia]

Beautiful!

I think I would put a zipper in, either that or an I-cord edging with loops on one side & knots on the other -- a sort of knitted frog. I like cardigans that can close, too. I have one with Norwegian style clasps, but they fall open fairly easily.

[Pam Harris]

Beautiful! I can instantly see why you love it. I vote zipper - it is flexible and easy to use.

[Meg in Nelson]

LOVELY!!! And it's getting to be that season. Congratulations!

[lynne]

zip it!

[Salihan]

Gorgeous! Who would have thought it's Patons wool! I agreee with everyone. Zip it!

[CheesePirate]

Great cardi! I'll butt in and agree: it is crying out for a zipper.

[April Bangert]

Oh WOW! That's beautiful! Great job and thanks for the great tips and reminders on the fitting. I too like my stuff to close up. The front on this one seems to be saying "zip me please" to lots of people, and really, I have to agree. I really like your version. Hmm....I just may need to add it to my list of to do's for me. It's headed into warmer weather here....but maybe by Fall I could get that underway. Maybe this could be the reason I learn to cable?

[Terri]

Yep - zip is my vote too..