NaKniSweMoDo #13

Perfect basic cardigan! The pattern is thoughtfully written and easy to follow. I highly recommend it.

I had a horrible time with the sleeves (ended up knitting four of them), but it was totally due to my own stupidity, not anything to do with the pattern. I did end up recalculating the sleeves, but that was mostly because of my gauge being larger. I also prefer a slightly more fitted sleeve.

Pattern gauge is 22 st x 28 r, my swatch was 21.5 st x 28 r after washing. That’s fine since I wanted it to be a little larger than 35”, but I did an extra set of decreases right above the ribbing to make up for some of the extra width from my gauge.

I did not using a different needle size for the ribbing, since I don’t really want the ribbing to pull in. Plus, the merino wool is very elastic - unlike the cotton/acrylic yarn used in the original pattern. I did use a smaller needle for the button bands, though.

Finished dimensions came out to be 36” at the bust (1/2” positive ease for me), 37” at the hips, 14” armhole to hem (21” overall length), 12.5” sleeve length, 12” sleeve width (I narrowed them on purpose).

The body of the sweater did not grow quite as much as I expected lengthwise, so it came out an inch shorter than I’d planned. It’s a good length, but the waist shaping therefore ended up a little high. I’ll probably try blocking it longer next time I wash it (I didn’t do any blocking the first time - just laid it out and let it dry as it wanted to.)

I will almost certainly make this pattern again - it’s a great pattern. To better suit me next time, I would aim for 36.5 to 37” bust (it’s OK as it is, but a tiny bit more ease would be perfect), and would make the sleeves narrower below the elbows (above the elbows it’s perfect). I would also either make it an inch longer (in which case, the hem width and waist shaping are fine), or would lower the waist shaping by an inch and make the hips an inch narrower.

As for the yarn, it was quite nice to work with, although I’m not sure it feels quite as soft as some other merinos I’ve used. We’ll see how it holds up with wear.