Zipping Right Along

Raglan Zipper Cardigan

Started: 12.12.05 / Finished: 1.09.06
Pattern: Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
Yarn: Handpainted Yarns Handspun Bulky Wool in colorway
Date Palme (discontinued)
Needles: Takumi Clover Bamboo circulars size 10 for body and yoke; Brittany Birch double pointed needles size 10 for sleeves
Notes: Less than a month for this baby! Granted, I challenged myself to have it ready by Kris’s birthday – but that came and went on 12.26.

I officially finished the knitting on January 8th – my best girl Heather was over at my house for a fun knit-in… so she got a sneak peek! (and I got to see the start of her lovely cowl sweater she just started too!) The weaving in ends and blocking set up for the zipper installation the next day. I did manage to get a pic pre – zipper though… (look at that smile!)

DPNs make the perfect closures!

I recommend Handpainted Yarn, but be aware that it is really thick and thin in some places. I think this adds to the overall attraction of this particular sweater (the rustic look), but it may not be a good match for something that needs an even texture or a spot-on gauge. As for the dyelots: you can see the stripes (slightly) in the knit above. I bought the same dyelot! The kettle-dyed yarn is just this way… so I accept it and move on. I am trying to convince myself that for this particular knit, it adds character.

I made the smallest men’s size (39" chest) for Kris, and this called for 8 hanks of yarn; purchasing one extra ball really was a good decision, I used about 100 yds of the 9th hank to yoke and the collar.

More notes and pics (including zipper installation) behind the cut – check it!

Saturday night: I was a midnight yoker. I was on a roll. I moved the body to the larger 36" circular needles, and added the sleeves to the knit. The underarm stitches were left on stitch holders until the end when I did a Kitchener stitch bind off to secure them.

Lovin’ the raglan decreases. The rib pattern really shows them off too.

I wet blocked the cardigan overnight, and had it all ready to go for zipper installation on Monday. The blocking did not make a big difference – ribbing will always look smaller, but the important thing is that it fits Kris so perfectly!

My mom, who was gifted with some amazing sewing skills, came over to my place for a zipper tutorial. I initially thought I would go with a hand sewn zipper install, but I began to see that the cardigan would need something more stable and durable; so a machine seam was definitely the way to go.

I got a little eager, and instead of going with a custom zipper from one of the online sources, I went with a zipper from the craft store. The length was perfect, and I am very happy with the way it turned out – remember the one in the original pattern zipper was fire engine red! – so the khaki color was a pretty good fit. Maybe next zipper install, I will give the online store a try – I would like a custom zipper sometime that matches the color of the garment exactly.

Zipper alignment – perfect fit for a 30" zipper, although the pattern called for a 27". (I did add 3" to the torso)

We used regular sewing pins to secure the tape to the knit before running it through the machine.

Mom put the zipper foot in my sewing machine – this made the sewing go so quickly!

Mom’s expertise in all things sewing really saved me on this project. I would have made a real mess of it without her help. Thanks to mom, my interest in sewing has been rekindled, and I hope to be able to install my next knit zipper easily with the skills I learned this time!

Attached and ready to go. The machine seam was strong, and will withold more wear (hopefully not tear!) from Kris.

I am happy with this project, and best of all, I think Kris is too. He was willing for me to call him for fittings and measurements throughout the whole process. I extended the body from 15" to 18" and I extended the arm length to 21" – the small size called for only 18". I am so glad I did this – it fits him perfectly, and he is very comfortable in it.

All in all, a great project – and the other thing about it?

It fits me too!