Top-down cardigan experiment - progress so far :)

Here it is - going nicely and only three mistakes so far. One I've ignored completely (a line of seed stitch in the middle of my moss stitch - it's a tweedy wool and textured pattern - no one will notice) and two I fixed. That is, I didn't go back and re-do the line of stitching, instead I cobbled up two stitches to make up for the increases I forgot to do. Again, no one will notice, or if they do, I'll embroider over it - this is a go-for-it garment.

So far, I've spent about six hours on it, I think, including the first sample. I'm nearly at the bottom of the yoke with five more increase rows to go. I won't get that done in time for this post as I shall be out all day, so I put the yoke so far on to waste yarn to try it on and take a photograph.

You can't see the seed stitch mistake, it's on the back panel. Thinking about it, it could be a deliberate design feature to delineate the yoke :) I'm pleased with the cardigan so far - lovely and soft and very light. I didn't plan it but the buttonholes fall every ten rows, so it's an easy way to check where I'm up to.

I was very pleased with the fitting:

• the neck line sits really comfortably without stretching or rucking.
• the front bands overlap perfectly.
• the whole thing draped softly and just fell into place.
  There are still another ten rows and five increases to go and I reckon the fit will be perfect (not bad for guesswork)! I will add some more stitches under the arms, probably four on either side, but I'll see when I get to that stage.

Altthough I let my attention wander once or twice and ended up with mistakes, these are very easy to spot and correct before you get too far on with further rows. I like the way the patterning is working out with the increases. The neckline is a very simple purl row and then into the moss stitch pattern (I dislike ribbing). I may add a collar if I have any wool left.

I'm planning the next one, which will be in Rowan Cocoon - a dark forest green (now discontinued, which is why I have it). There's only six balls, but I have another three in purple, (also discontinued, but in the sale before last) , so I'm thinking about some bands or blocks of colour. The texture of the moss stitch reminded me of astrakhan and early twentieth century costumes, and I'm thinking about the Cocoon cardigan being more fitted and perhaps slightly more structured, so it's a little like a jacket.

I'm going to do a long thin swatch with 3:1 and 2:2 ribbing and stockinette, as J. suggests in her video. I also found three sets of three balls each which I bought for scarves, but I think they would work well together in a cardigan. And finally, I have some lovely teal merino silk for a pretty silky something for parties and when I am taken out to dinner (or even for the winter/spring transition - I've never had a top precisely for that moment)!

I think it will take about eighteen hours in total to complete this top (excluding sewing on buttons, they may never get done) which is extraordinary. It means that it would be possible to make a top in a fortnight rather than six months! I've also thought of a solution to @neumannsalva's one sleeve dilemma ... start knitting both sleeves at the same time and swap between them :)

Here are the final video's from J's Knit and Pearl Jam - excellent tuition, lovely presentation, so relaxed and chatty ("it's just yarn, people, it's not a race, it's just youtube, enjoy yourself"). In another video, I learned that J. was 71 last summer. She looks fabulous. If you get time have a look at her birthday video.

J. explains the changes she made to the sample top-down cardigan to improve the fit and gets you started on the neck ribbing and the yoke to the under-arms.

J talks about how to check the fit on your cardigan and then how to join the back and front to knit the body.

The last video looks at finishing the ribbing on the body and then how to complete the sleeves. More excellent tips. These videos are a delight to listen to, never mind learning anything about knitting.

FINAL DAY - Evergreen December Challenge

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The last day of the year to enter @phoenixwren's fabulous challenge!

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