Just a little bit of time and an ounce of dedication, and the pay off it quite grand! I love my new cardigan!

Wren Cardigan
Pattern: Berroco free pattern
Yarn: Berroco Zodiac in “Leo” colorway (#9633 )
Yarn Source: WEBS online
Needles: Size US 7 and 8
Started March 25th / Finished May 16th

This was an absolute impulse buy – I fell head-over-heels in love with the pattern when the weekly Berroco KnitBits newsletter hit my inbox. I clicked over, got the details, and within a few days, I bought the yarn, and cast on. I bought the yarn because I love pink and green together, and it was a great match for Project Spectrum’s color triad this month. Rarely do I click “checkout” so hastily!

I chose to make the Medium size, a 40″ bust, thinking I would want a little “room” up top since it is a cardigan. After finishing it, however, I probably could have gone down a size to the 36″, or even a needle size to get a better fit in the upper chest… but the fit is not a major concern, just something to keep in mind if you do decide to make this cardigan.

I knit the majority of the sweater according to the pattern – the back and the two fronts were simple to follow, and the sleeves were done in a flash. The major modification on this garment involved the collar:

• Separate Knit? The pattern instructs to knit the collar separately and then sew it on afterward. To save all of that seaming, I decided to pick up the stitches around the fronts and the back of the neck. My picked-up stitch count was curiously 80 stitches less than the instructions noted – I picked up 205, while the instructions read 285! I can only assume that all of these extra stitches would have caused the dreaded “lettuce neck” with the sewn on collar… so I am happy that I went the “pick up” route.
• Gaping Hole? I wasn’t loving the way that the collar gaped in the original picture, so I did not make mine as long or as bulky. The pattern calls for about 30 rows of knitting, where mine has 10 rows at the widest part (back of the neck). This modification avoided “the gape” and lays flat around the neckline. This yarn, like any other ribbon yarn, does not have much heft or bulk- it is drapey, and would look flimsy if it was required to stand up for this style of collar. I am not sure how 30 rows of knitting would stand up straight unless one went down to a very small needle size… nevertheless, this modification gave it a more polished and finished look.

The pattern had its flaws, mainly the collar bit mentioned above, but if you are an intuitive knitter, it is not a challenge. The yarn, however, was not my favorite. I did like the colors – although they are slightly “flashier” than I tend to go for. I mentioned before that the yarn is a thread of chain cotton, bound to a ribbon thread with a small black nylon thread. That stupid little black nylon thread is what caused so many problems. It snagged on many things – my nails, my cuticles, and my jewelry – and often got unraveled from the other two threads. This cardigan would probably hold up well in any ribbon style yarn, or even a cotton blend yarn with a little bit of drape.

Overall, I am happy with my Wren. The pin is just the right touch too. I am very happy with that find!

Some of you called me out… you said “is that really all you got?” referring to my purchases at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. All I can say is you know me well. I did get one other thing.

I knew I wanted a shawl pin for my Wren cardigan. In my mind, I envisioned something very simple: a straight chopstick style, preferably in dark brown or black wood or heavy plastic. I looked around online and never saw anything that caught my fancy, although there are some great designs for different garments. On Sunday, day two of the festival, I found the pin I had been thinking of – it was on sale at Cloverhill Yarn Shop’s booth. They had a great variety, and this one was the simplest and the most beautiful to me.

Now I am working on having a finished garment to actually wear the pretty pin with… I completed the back, and the left front of the cardigan, and I am currently working on the right front of the cardigan. The sleeves are the only thing left.

The yarn may not be my favorite, but this cardigan is really knitting up beautifully, no?

Wren: You remember her.
The cardigan that made me stop in my tracks.

Within a day of receiving the Berroco weekly newsletter, I had ordered the yarn for her. I am not usually such an impulsive buyer. This pattern just had my number, I guess. Wren would be a very welcome addition to my lackluster wardrobe. Got the yarn within three days, and I cast on immediately.

The love is still there, although the honeymoon is over. Wren continues to excite me – despite the sea of stockinette that I am wading through at this point. For all of the love I give to the pattern, I am not too pleased with the yarn. It’s like being head over heels in love with someone, and then finding out that you can’t stand your partner’s family…

It snags. You can’t wear jewelry. File your fingernails and cuticles. Put lotion on your hands. Each little snag is quickly remedied, but the “annoying factor” is quite high.

I am working the left front of the cardigan. As you can see from the picture above, the neckline is decreased to fit a nice little shawl collar in later. At the same time, I am working the arm hole decreases, seen here. I hope to have a nice fit with this garment. The yarn is not ALL bad, as it does have a nice drape, and creates a sturdy fabric. I assume that the problems I encountered with the snagging are commonplace with any ribbon yarn… just hoping it won’t constantly snag when I wear it as a finished garment!

April is here! For the next two months, Project Spectrum is all about GREEN, YELLOW, and PINK!

Photograph by Annica at Fabulous Threads

I have to admit, I was excited to get this month started. I loved working with blues, grays, and whites, but I am in a new state of mind, and ready to move on to new crafts and new possibilities. Green and pink are two of my favorite colors (the other two being blue and brown), and I love using these colors together in my crafts.

Case in point:

Wren Cardigan in Berroco Zodiac (Leo colorway)

This cardigan is flying off the needles! I completed the back on Friday, and promptly started the left front, seen here in the foreground. The yarn is a little finicky, with the black nylon ply around the cotton and rayon threads, but is knitting up into a beautiful fabric. It is pretty light, and will make a very nice summertime wrap over a little black dress.

Shades Sock in Trekking XXL #107

This sock pattern is from Nancy Bush’s mail order service, The Wooly West. It was a birthday gift from Jenna last November, along with two other NB patterns. (Perfect for the Compendium project!) I chose to use the lovely #107 colorway of Trekking XXL, as it has slight variegations of all of the new Project Spectrum colors! I have another pair of socks on the needles right now as well, but honestly, this pair really has my attention right now!

More to come!

The Project Spectrum Flickr Group has exploded with new colors – be sure to check it out!

What do you have planned for this two-month span?  

More Bookshelf Photos

On the bus towards Georgetown with Jenna and Suzanne

Beginning a collection – project plans!

New brown cotton dress

Bella begging to go outside

Wren cardigan cast on with Berroco Zodiac