Copenhagen Cardigan - Body Done!

With my Saltwind finished, I’ve been focusing on finishing up my Copenhagen Cardigan, binding off the body this morning.  I did not work the Italian bind-off as the pattern called for as I really just didn’t want to do that with mohair.  I also did not go down a needle size for the body ribbing.  I just worked six rows of ribbing on the body needle and bound off in pattern.  I am very happy with how this is coming out.  I like the marled effect, although I have learned that if you carry mohair along with your regular yarn there is no such thing as mindless stockinette.  There are a few stitches where the mohair is not on the correct stitch, or was left off, but only a few.  If I noticed quickly (on the next row, for example) I was able to fix it, but there are a couple that I didn’t notice until way later and there was no way I was dropping stitches down and fixing them with mohair in the mix.  I’ve picked up the stitches for the first sleeve and have started working it.

Pattern:  Copenhagen Cardigan by PetiteKnit

Yarn:  Ewe Ewe Yarns Fluffy Fingering and Magicland Yarn Marvelous Mohair

Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm) but only for the collar ribbing

Lupine Saltwind - Finished!

I finished up the body this past Sunday evening, and finished up the ribbing on Monday, blocking it Monday evening.

Here is a photo of the body taken Sunday evening, under artificial light.

And a photo of the body with one armhole finished taken Monday morning.  I always find the contrast between artificial and natural light so interesting.  I blocked gently, just smoothing things out and gently shaping it so that things lay flat and straight.  No pulling or stretching.  My gauge is just a wee bit tighter than the called for gauge, but that suits me just fine.  It is a little bit oversized in the shoulders - the ribbing  extends past my shoulders, and the neckline is pretty broad, but overall I am happy with the fit.  It is not too big, just roomy enough to be comfy.

Pattern:  Saltwind by keiko kikuno

Yarn:  Osprey by Quince & Co

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Copenhagen Cardigan - Progress Check

I have also been working on the body of my Copenhagen Cardigan.  I have about 4 inches more to knit before I work the ribbing and then I can work the sleeves.  I went back and double checked yardage requirements and compared that to what I have on hand and decided to go ahead and buy more yarn so I would have it when I need it and wouldn’t have to play yarn chicken.  The fabric is wonderfully soft and warm, and I love the marling effect with the lighter silk-mohair against the darker purple.

Pattern:  Copenhagen Cardigan by PetiteKnit

Yarn:  Ewe Ewe Yarns Fluffy Fingering and Magicland Yarn Marvelous Mohair

Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Lupine Saltwind - One Chart Repeat Done!

I have completed one repeat of the charts, and my gauge is looking great.  Granted, I haven’t blocked it, but I’m not one of those people that try to use blocking to change the shape of garments.  I block lace pretty strenuously, but not garments.  I have 20 more rounds to work before I start the armhole shaping.  I’ve made a few cabling mistakes that I had to fix by dropping stitches down, the worst was having to drop 14 stitches down 9 rows to fix a cable cross.

And here is the other side.

Pattern:  Saltwind by keiko kikuno 

Yarn:  Quince & Co. Osprey

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Copenhagen Cardigan - Raglan Increases Done!

I finished up the raglan increases this morning and have set up for working the body.  When I finished the last row of the raglan portion I counted the stitches in each of my sections and was very pleased when there were all correct.  When I’m working so many rows of increases I always worry a little about forgetting one (or more) and ending up with the wrong stitch counts.  Last night I draped it around my shoulders just to see how it was fitting and it is so warm and soft.  It is going to be a very cozy cardigan.  I only have 4 balls of the purple yarn, and I’m already into my second ball, so I am a little worried about running out of yarn.  When I get to the end of this ball I’m going to work the sleeves, and then I can determine if I’m going to need another ball.  Given that I’m carrying the mohair along with the purple I’m not too concerned about possibly getting a different dye lot.  Marling can hid a multitude of sins.

Pattern:  Copenhagen Cardigan by PetiteKnit

Yarn:  Ewe Ewe Yarns Fluffy Fingering and Magicland Yarn Marvelous Mohair

Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 6 (4.0 mm)

Lupine Saltwind - Ribbing Done!

I finished up the ribbing last night and started working the cable design.  The gauge for the ribbing was given as 24 stitches and 23 rounds in four inches.  Now measuring in ribbing is always a bit problematic because of the stretchiness, but looking at it on the needles, I think I’m pretty good.  I am a little shy of four inches in height at 23 rounds of ribbing, but that may well block out, so I’m not worried.  I decided to stay on the US 7 needles for the body.  The set up round was a bit of a beast, as I didn’t find the designations for the cable stitches intuitive at all and had to consistently look at the instructions, but thanks to knitCompanion it was easy to keep track of where I was in the row.  When I got to the body it has you knit moss stitch, Chart A, Chart B, Chart A, moss stitch.  I flipped Chart A so that it would be a mirror image the second time I worked it, making the pattern symmetric, an easy thing to do in knitCompanion.

As I was knitting the ribbing I pondered the needle size given in the pattern.  It seemed to me that in order to get gauge with a US 9 you would have to be an incredibly tight knitter (I am not a loose knitter since I changed how I tension my yarn, nor am I a tight knitter).  But then I noted that the designer is Japanese, and I know that the Japanese size their needles differently than we do in the US, so I found a conversion chart online.  A Japanese size 9 needle is 4.8 mm, which falls right between a US 7 (4.5 mm) and a US 8 (5.0 mm).

Pattern:  Saltwind by Keiko Kikuno

Yarn:  Osprey by Quince & Co

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Copenhagen Cardigan - Making Progress!

Lest you think my Copenhagen Cardigan is being completely neglected, it hasn’t been, at least not completely.  I’ve been working through all the raglan increases, and I have a dozen more rows to go before I can split things and just work the body.  So, it is kind of slow going at this point as the rows are getting pretty long.  Once I get the ribbing done on the Lupine Saltwind and get in to the cabling, this project should see more love as it will be my TV knitting.

Pattern:  Copenhagen Cardigan by PetiteKnit

Yarn:  Ewe Ewe Yarns Fluffy Fingering & Magicland Yarn Marvelous Mohair

Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 6 (4.0 mm)