All week I’ve tried to get finished photos of my Honey Cardigan. I wore it to work twice this week and each time it was so very cold in the morning that neither of us felt like standing out in the yard to do it. Below zero temperatures are not for the faint hearted, or the non-coat wearing.
Today is a lovely mild winter’s Sunday. I got some photos. Sean’s dad is visiting and he stood off to one side chuckling at his daughter in law, the wanna be knitwear model. I don’t know that he knows about blogging or Ravelry, so he probably wondered it was all about.
Anyway. Here she is. My lovely Honey cardigan. Pattern here.
So many reasons to be happy. Great Cascade 220, one of my very favourite winter yarns. It’s cold enough in Canberra to justify this northern hemisphere staple.
Love love love the yoke. So structurally pleasing. Almost architectural in appearance. I love how the cables photograph. I love how the ever so slight shaping in the body, just a gentle slope from arm holes to band gives it just a hint of flare.
It wears well and even though there’s a push against the yoked design with the top buttoning look, I really like it. I’ve never been one to button all the way, and I don’t like a fully open cardigan so much (I don’t like the way they flap open in the breeze with no buttons) so this style works for me!
Some modifications. I shortened the body. It was supposed to be 16″ but I’m far too short in the body for that so I stopped at 14″. It grew slightly so that was a good call.
I also tapered the sleeves. The sleeves were written completely straight and I don’t think that works in heavy weight wool. I was worried it would look a bit shapeless. So I tapered at a rate of two stitches every six rows and am happy with that.
The detail in the finishing is wonderful. Applied i-cord all the way around the bottom and the opening and the wrists. Such a great way to finish. I’ve done it twice now, on this and Coraline, and I really love it.
And my buttons. I love my buttons.
I found them a few weeks ago when we were in Braidwood for the weekend. A local ceramic artist had a line of handmade buttons and I fell in love with these. They’re kind of heavy but that works on a heavy garment. I thought something in solid grey with big cables could totally take some vibrant, ceramic buttons.
Here she is from the back. I’ll point out the mis-crossed cable before anyone else does, just because, well, that’s what we do isn’t it? We point out our mistakes. In the middle, up under my hair is a single mis-crossed cable.
It’s not immediately obvious but someone’s bound to spot it some time. I left it because mostly it’s covered by my hair, I think. And by the time I saw it, I’d gone too far. C’est la vie. It’s a minor thing and perfection isn’t always worth pursuing. It’s not like it was front and centre of the piece.
So there you go. Three weeks in the making, hopefully many years in the wearing. This year’s Tour de France knit along was a great success for me, even if I didn’t see much of the race!
Bells
Fantastic success! I always love a grey cardi and this is a lovely one. I really do love those cables. I bet you wear it all the time. And I bet nobody ever notices a single mis-crossed cable. I’d have left it in too.
The red buttons are perfect. The cardigan looks like it was designed with you in mind. I love cardigans but I button them from the bottom and leave the top open. So, I’m looking for a design with some detail along the bottom and a more plain top.
Love it!
This cardi is fabulous! The buttons are perfect! I can’t help myself with ceramic buttons! I have a collection! Beautiful!
Those buttons suit it right down to the ground! It really came out beautifully, go you in your yellow jersey!
It looks really good on you, the mods have worked to a T. Great job and in such a short space of time too!
Love your Cardigan and the cables look fabulous and I agree, the buttons suit very well indeed!! I would not have noticed the miss-crossed cable!! The i-cord edging works really well. I cannot wear a top only buttoned cardigan, I button mine in the centre and leave the neck and the bottom open.
You look great in the cardigan & I love it. You have done a beautiful job & the buttons are perfect. I knitted my Owl Cardigan in Cascade too & only wore it once when I was in Bendigo last year. It’s too warm for Perth.
It looks great, and I love fun buttons, too. Except I buy them and then don’t want to commit to using them on anything because then I won’t be able to use them on anything else! I like that style of cardigan, too. I usually button cardigans just at the top, or just at the bottom, so either way works for me. If I wanted something that buttoned all the way, I’d make…you know, a pullover.
You do such great work, Bells. I love it, and it looks like a warm friend for many winters to come.
I think I will need to add this one to my queue too. I think it looks fantastic on you and I love the buttons!
The sweater is a total success. I can’t find the mis-cable, even with you pointing it out! The cables are beautiful and the i-cord edging is so classy. I can’t help but echo the other commenters on the buttons. They have so much zing!
As my grandmother would say, “Wear it in good health.” (Yiddish saying)
Vibrant buttons are a good choice with a grey cardi! Such a good colour! And i love a cardi because it can be worn buttoned or not (although i would never button all the way down either, unless maybe it was a deep v-neck!). Excellent work in achieving another lovely warm cardi before winter’s end!
beautiful! the buttons are stunning and I love the story behind them.
It really looks great! Lovely style on you, and the wool gives such satsifyingly strong cables. What a fun way to celebrate this Tour.
look at you.. cardi all done looking great ,and cute buttons. Your mods worked well and I too think the i.cord BO is pretty special
Wear it proudly !
It is very architectural and the cables have really ‘pow’!
I used to button all my cardigans from the bottom to about halfway then wised up and made v-neck cardigans! Then I found I constantly had a cold chest so went to zip up (purchased) jackets! Maybe it’s time to revisit the cardigan!
Such clever modifications. The more I knit the more I appreciate the difference that can be made by having great finishing details such as your edgings. Great outcome.
Just a great cardigan, Bells…love everything about it, and it looks absolutely wonderful on you! Good on ya!
It looks great, Bells! And I love how you incorporated buttons that will remind you each time you wear it of the trip you took, too. (And they’re very cute, to boot!) I couldn’t see the miscrossed cable, btw, so I wouldn’t worry about it. All in all, job well done!
Love this cardigan, and the buttons are gorgeous! I personally love the yoked/top buttoning cardis. I’ve just finished ‘Radiate’ and I’m so pleased with the outcome…now ‘Honey’ has been added to my queue