Tag Archives: madelinetosh

greenberries

Blackberry cable cardigan

Blackberry cable cardigan

Blackberry cable cardigan

Blackberry cable cardigan
sweater: self-made, pattern here // glasses: BonLook.com (affilliate link) // pants: AE // boots: Hunter

Sometimes I finish a project and immediately get dressed up and run upstairs to photograph it. Other times, I wait three years.

This sweater was my birthday present to myself in 2011. I had been eyeing fancy yarns and decided to treat myself to a sweater’s worth of Madelinetosh (colorway: thyme). I almost chose Composition Book Grey but I think I just liked the name.

CIMG2114Hello babbies!

Anyway, the pattern is the Blackberry Cable Cardigan and it was so much fun to knit! It was three years ago but I’m pretty sure the blackberry stitch was a bitch and a half but the rest of it knitted up easily. Cables are the best. They’re not actually that hard but they make sweaters look so fancy and complicated. Hee. I also love how hourglassy it turned out with the very deliberate waist definition.

My only issue is I overestimated the sleeve length and ended up with sleeves that are about 3″ too long and didn’t have enough yarn left to make the shawl collar as wide as I’d wanted.

Someday I might fix it. Someday.

15 Comments finished knit - - - -

Blocking

CIMG2241

So remember a few months ago when I was squeeing my pants about that giant pile of Madelinetosh yarn I bought?

Well, that project is finally off the needles!

Actually technically I finished it last week back home but there was no floor space to block it and then I decided to just wait for my blocking mats to get here.

So today it had a bath and now it’s pinned to the mats waiting to be dry so I can wears it.

CIMG2242

Apologies for the gimpy pinning job. I’m still a noob at this. I will say, though, the knitpicks blocking mats I bought are fantastic! I love that they’re detachable and can conform to the shape of whatever you’re blocking.

And lastly, these are the buttons I bought.

CIMG2238

I’m still torn about whether or not they’re right for this sweater. I used the same button for a headband/ear warmer I made a few months ago and I really like the simplicity of it but I feel like they might be too small. Maybe a toggle instead? Hrmmm.

*taps foot impatiently*

5 Comments knitting - - -

Blocking

CIMG2241

So remember a few months ago when I was squeeing my pants about that giant pile of Madelinetosh yarn I bought?

Well, that project is finally off the needles!

Actually technically I finished it last week back home but there was no floor space to block it and then I decided to just wait for my blocking mats to get here.

So today it had a bath and now it’s pinned to the mats waiting to be dry so I can wears it.

CIMG2242

Apologies for the gimpy pinning job. I’m still a noob at this. I will say, though, the knitpicks blocking mats I bought are fantastic! I love that they’re detachable and can conform to the shape of whatever you’re blocking.

And lastly, these are the buttons I bought.

CIMG2238

I’m still torn about whether or not they’re right for this sweater. I used the same button for a headband/ear warmer I made a few months ago and I really like the simplicity of it but I feel like they might be too small. Maybe a toggle instead? Hrmmm.

*taps foot impatiently*

1 Comment knitting - - -

A lesson in gauge

CIMG2123

Sometimes I get cocky and forget that I’ve only really been knitting for less than a year. And with that, I forget that each new knitting project I pick up teaches me something new.

CIMG2127

Cables aren’t new, I learned cables with my Hermione sweater. But the blackberry stitch was new. And the idea of alternating skeins when working with hand-dyed yarns. And (I feel sort of stupid about this one) the importance of gauge. That was new too.

I’m not exactly sure how I’ve been getting away with it, but up until now I’ve never knitted a swatch, nor have I ever consistently checked my gauge on a project. I would pretty much just buy the correct weight of yarn and use the recommended needle size and run with it.

When you spend $19.20 per skein though, it’s a little hard to just “run with” anything. When I had gotten to about the eighth row, I checked my gauge and realized I was knitting waaay too loosely and was going to end up with a behemoth sweater. So I ripped it and now I’m checking like a maniac every few rows and for once my gauge is perfect.

CIMG2124

My only question is, how the hell is anyone getting gauge on this sweater with size 7 needles?? I’m knitting super tightly on size 5’s and it’s perfect. I could probably even go down to a size 4 and knit normally.

In other news, I really love this pattern. And this yarn. And the color.

*drool*

4 Comments knitting - - - - -

A lesson in gauge

CIMG2123

Sometimes I get cocky and forget that I’ve only really been knitting for less than a year. And with that, I forget that each new knitting project I pick up teaches me something new.

CIMG2127

Cables aren’t new, I learned cables with my Hermione sweater. But the blackberry stitch was new. And the idea of alternating skeins when working with hand-dyed yarns. And (I feel sort of stupid about this one) the importance of gauge. That was new too.

I’m not exactly sure how I’ve been getting away with it, but up until now I’ve never knitted a swatch, nor have I ever consistently checked my gauge on a project. I would pretty much just buy the correct weight of yarn and use the recommended needle size and run with it.

When you spend $19.20 per skein though, it’s a little hard to just “run with” anything. When I had gotten to about the eighth row, I checked my gauge and realized I was knitting waaay too loosely and was going to end up with a behemoth sweater. So I ripped it and now I’m checking like a maniac every few rows and for once my gauge is perfect.

CIMG2124

My only question is, how the hell is anyone getting gauge on this sweater with size 7 needles?? I’m knitting super tightly on size 5’s and it’s perfect. I could probably even go down to a size 4 and knit normally.

In other news, I really love this pattern. And this yarn. And the color.

*drool*