Campfire Cardi - Finished!

Once I finished the sleeves and blocked the cardigan I focused on finishing up the button bands.  As I mentioned in the last post I didn’t really get what the designer was doing for that part of the design, and the whole joining as you go and picking up the stitches to join as you go just seemed way too fiddly for me.  So I decided to use the same ribbing pattern on the button bands and neck edge.  I also wanted a nice turn on the corner for the transition from the button bands to the neck edge.  In the end I worked the button bands first.  Based on the gauge of the cabled rib I picked up 5 stitches for every 6 rows along the front edge, 108 stitches total.  To figure out the number of stitches to pick up I used the stitch gauge from the cable rib on the hem and used it with the row gauge from the front to determine the ratio.  After the pick up I worked a wrong side set up row to establish the pattern of k1, (k1, p2), end k2.  I worked 5 stitch button holes centered on a purl stitch on rows 9 (bind off) and 10 (cast on).  I matched the cable to the cable on each side, so the right hand button band has left twist, and the left hand button band has right twist.  I worked 19 rows of the cabled rib, binding off on row 20.

Once both button bands were finished I started working the neck edge.  I picked up 2 stitches for every 3 rows along the top of the button band (14 stitches), 9 stitches for every 10 rows along the neck edge (56 stitches), and one for one along the back neck (46 stitches).  To figure out the number of stitches to pick up along the neck edge I measured the length of the neck edge, and used the cable rib gauge to calculate the number of stitches I needed, then counted the number of rows and figured out the ratio.  I placed a marker in the center back and switched the cable orientation at the marker so that the cables matched the button band cables.  After the pickup I worked a wrong side set up row of p14, (k1, p2) to 1 stitch before the center back, k1, sm, k1, (p2, k1) to last 14 stitches, p14.  The stitch count gave me two purl stitches at the center back, one before the marker and one after the marker.  Across the top of the button bands I worked a stockinette triangle, decreasing on the right side rows as follows:  ssk, k to last 2 stitches of button band edge, k2tog, work cable pattern to the other button band, ssk, k to last 2 stitches of button band edge, k2tog.  I worked 15 rows for the neck edge and bound off on row 16.

I am very happy with how the cardigan turned out.  The fabric is great, my gauge was spot on and consistent for the whole project, and I love the contrast edging.  And better yet, I used stash yarn.

Pattern:  Sage Cardi by Zanete Knits

Yarn:  Dream in Color Smooshy

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm) for the body, US 4 (3.5 mm) for the sleeves