The Long Tale of the Cardigan

A Bit of Knitting and Crocheting

For the last 4 years, 3 months and a couple of weeks I have been knitting (on and off) a cardigan for M. As I only learnt to knit and crochet about 5 years ago I think, in retrospect, this was perhaps a big ask. However, yesterday I finally completed this mammoth project and after much anticipation M was eventually able to wear his new cardigan. I had begun a little post about this journey about 2 years ago so I thought it was about time to finish this up and share this sometimes emotional and desperate tale.

2015

During a visit to the Knitting and Stitching Show with mum in 2013 I chose a cardigan pattern and purchased some lovely natural brown wool. After about 2 years I had completed the back and made a start on the front right. As a novice the pattern changes combined with increases and decreases slowed my progress significantly - then we moved house!

Unfortunately this was as far as I got before having to abandon the cardigan. Either in the old house or perhaps since we moved the moths somehow got at all my wool for the cardigan and I ended up having to break and restart almost every 2 rows. In the end I didn't think I would have enough wool to finish it; I just couldn't take it anymore and so decided to start again with a different wool.

So the brown cardigan became a charcoal grey cardigan as I was determined not to give up on the pattern. Although both of the wools are described as Aran weight this blue was slightly thinner and so I decided to make the cardigan larger just in case it was a bit tight. At least this time it seemed to be coming along a lot quicker and I was hopeful it wouldn't take me another 2 years to complete it.

      

One major reason for the slow progress of M's cardigan was been my obsession with making blankets. I visited Lucy again at Attic 24 and decided to do a Coastal Ripple blanket (centre picture). I loved this one so much that I made another as a gift in a variety of pinks and purples. My latest blanket was for M in slightly more masculine colours, it's the corner to corner stripe from Heather at The Patchwork Heart. I love making blankets but I'm not sure we really need anymore so back to the cardigan.

Latest Update - November 2017

By now I was 4 years along the production line in the ongoing cardigan saga and I could almost feel the end in sight.

   

Along the way I also managed to fit in the top cross stitch from start to finish while completing the Venice one too.

Last November I gathered up my wool and needles and decided I would make a concerted effort to finish the cardigan by Christmas. Once I had a look at the pattern I realised why I hadn't touched it for a year - I had got completely stuck. In a random attempt to get some help I posted a picture of the pattern on a knit and natter facebook page where I asked for some help. After only a few minutes I had a reply from a lovely lady who helped me to understand the bit of the pattern I was struggling with. Now there was progress, I finished the back, front right and one sleeve. By Christmas I was thrilled to have completed all the component parts of the cardigan and after the holidays set about working out how to sew them together.

Then disaster struck: I realised that I had completed the right and left front parts using the original row count that I had been using for the brown wool. Aagh!!! I was about 21 rows short on the front. So I had to rip them right back to the start of the sleeve decrease and knit them again. I'm proud to say at this point I didn't cry but took a very deep breath and a few weeks later was pleased to say I was ready to sew it together.

      

All the bits ready to go, they were the same colour but looked very different in different light levels.

      

My craft room can be quite cold so it took a few weeks to get to the point when I had something resembling a cardigan. In the meantime I had a go at crocheting a couple of beanies, a cotton dishcloth and my new obsession - I have learnt to knit socks. More about the sock knitting later as it deserves a post all to itself!

Anyway back to the cardigan and a couple of weeks later all the bits were connected and I just had to wait for some buttons to be delivered.

This was yesterday (before the Six Nations Rugby of course) when I got the buttons sewn on and was able to say I knitted a garment.

It is with a huge sense of relief that I can post a picture of M in his new cardigan, it almost fits although the sleeves are a little long so he's had to turn the cuffs up. However, I can now jump up and down in joy shouting 'I did it'; perseverance and a whole lot of patience paid off. Note to self though, an intermediate pattern is definitely too hard for a beginner 😃