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| Svalbard Cardigan by Bristol Ivy |
Well, turns out I wear this thing often. Like, probably more than any other sweater I've made to date.
It occurs to me that many knitting bloggers write about their lovely finished objects (or the process by which they make them), but you don't hear a lot about them after the fact. Ever wonder how those objects work within regular wardrobe rotation?
A few months on, what can I tell you about my Svalbard cardigan?
- I really nailed the size and proportions. I couldn't have made a suboptimal (for me) garment shape suit me more than this does. But I worked my ass off to achieve those proportions, so I'm taking the credit. The point: If your sweater fits, you are more likely to wear it.
- The yarn I chose (Quince and Co. Chickadee) was a sound choice for a sweater that gets a lot of wear. It doesn't pill. It's extremely resilient. The recovery on this fabric is excellent - which is important when you're wearing a heavy bag over your shoulder, directly against that yarn. This yarn does not create a luxe fabric, but it does create a very wearable one. And it's soft, even as it's not delicate.
- If you're going to make a casual sweater to go with a variety of things, make it in a colour that goes well with that variety of things. You might say that denim goes with everything, for example. But unless you wear neutral tops with your jeans, you should carefully consider working in a neutral, if rich, yarn colour. The photos don't show the true colour of my Svalbard. It's richer than it seems in pics, more subtle than navy. And yet it goes with just about every other colour you could think of. I'm sure this is one of the many reasons it gets worn regularly.
- This sweater is warm! It's an awesome layering piece but it can work as a topper on its own, weather depending. So I've got options.
- The style is modern and chic. It's not fussy. You can throw this thing in your bag. I don't like to babysit my sweaters - and I don't like to wash them every 5 minutes. The Svalbard fits the bill.
- But finally, it's a really nice finished product. I did make a mistake but it's so well-disguised, even I can't find it without a very good look - and I know what I'm looking for. I sort of love the error that lives in this fabric because it's a constant reminder that knitting is about problem-solving, not constantly ripping back to attain perfection. Over all, I did the difficult prep, really nice work and I chose my materials well. It's not often I feel this good about a hand knit sweater.
Today's question: What's the most worn hand-knitted object in your wardrobe and why? Let's talk!
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Great question. For me, it's a very simple button-front vest that I made out of a bunch of ancient Candide wool yarn leftovers in stripes of black, gray, and natural. It's snug and super warm, goes with loads of my other black, gray, and white clothing, and fits under most of my winter layers. It was my first try of the pattern (Knitting Pure and Simple Basic Cardigan Vest for Women), which I have now re-made in several revised versions that actually fit better, but haven't worked their way into the wardrobe rotation yet (although I expect they'll get loads of use this winter). I agree, it's nice to hear about how something works out over time!
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like it would get a lot of use on practicality alone! Gotta check out the pattern...
DeleteI made something called the Bordeaux Pullover at the beginning of summer and I feel like I've worn it constantly since I got it done. Lace weight wool/tencel yarn and a really simple pattern (the back and front are the same) and I made it in black. Riviting knitting this was not, but apparently it fills my requirements for a wardrobe staple. I keep meaning to blog it, but I'm not happy with the pictures I have.
ReplyDeleteIt's very simple - but so complementary to all the kinds of clothes...
DeleteAwww, you're bumming me out a little! I went over to my Ravelry projects page, and it seems that I actually wear very little of what I knit (aside from hats and socks). But today I wore my Adrift cardigan, and I wear my Exeter cardigan frequently. Sadly, some of those sweaters have never been worn, and some only once or twice. :-(
ReplyDeleteI love your Exeter and had totally forgotten about that pattern! May need to get on my own version soon! My new office is so friggin' cold that I see lots of space in my life for such a cozy sweater! What about Kara?
DeleteI have worn my Kara a few times. I think the reason why the Exeter gets worn so much is that I use it as outerwear. My reality is that much of the time, I'm inside my well-insulated and well-heated home, so I'm just wearing a t-shirt.
DeleteNo! Being bummed out is not allowed! Of all peeps who should turn knitting into a business, you may be in the running. Of course, you'd never be paid for your talent but you could get your knitting fix and not have to wonder about how you'll work that 100th sweater into your wardrobe. I highly recommend giving the sweaters away. I've done it numerous times and I've never regretted it.
DeleteI'm so thrilled you're getting the wear out of this because it's so very beautiful. I totally agree with your argument that you need the yarn and the colour to be supremely wearable. Let's face it...knitting it a costly and time consuming pastime. I'm miffed at the moment because the Rowan Tweed I knitting Aislinn in isn't as resilient as I'd like. I love the cardie but wish the yarn had better recovery and less tendency to pill. Ah well...it's the knitterly version of a wearable muslin!
ReplyDeleteThanks E! I'm sorry that the Rowan isn't working optimally for your sweater. I can't tell you how many sweaters I've knit that fit that bill. The great news is that you've learned an invaluable lesson that will stay with you forever. You can't learn it unless you make the mistake. But the gains to follow are worth it.
DeleteOh absolutely. And it's not unwearable (it's had an outing today), just not as resilient as I'd like.
DeleteNext!.....
Love this post as I have been thinking about this a lot as I try and decide what to make next. I find that I get a ton of use out of my cardigans but not so much from my pullovers... My favourites have to be my Golden Wheat, Lauriel, Gilded and Kara but I am wearing my Channel a lot this "Fall". And for pullovers, the exception is my Oshima as I friggin' love that things and have also been wearing it a lot lately! And I do Helene is a new favourite but I'm not sure that I'll really get to test those waters until the weather warms up again.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's so true. The cardis really get more use - and I don't even have a lot of them. That Channel is fantastic. I can see you living in that all winter.
DeleteAll of my knitting projects are so old that I'm not wearing any of them anymore, so I'm easing my way back into knitting this fall and hope to make something I will wear. I have a yarn selection question for you...I want to make this Brooklyn Tweed scarf, in Loft but really don't want to spend that much on yarn for a scarf. Since you've knitted with the BT yarn, do you think the Quince & Co. Finch would be an acceptable substitute? I don't remember if your BT project was in Shelter or Loft.
ReplyDeletehttp://brooklyntweed.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=314
Here's the thing - BT yarn is like no other I've ever worked with. It has so much air in it (it's woolen spun) that it manages to be light as a cloud but very, very warm. You won't get that with the worsted spun Quince yarns. I would rec that you buy the fabric cards (both BT and Quince sell them and they are very useful for feel and colour choice). I bought my Quince card before they started making Owl and Owl Tweet (these are their woolen spun offerings, as I understand it). They might work well but I haven't felt them so I couldn't say.
DeleteIf you check Ravelry's finished Ludlow projects (and there aren't a ton), none was done with Quince yarn. That doesn't mean Quince yarns won't work, but I like to see how a pattern knits up in a very diff fiber before I decide to go off road.
That Ludlow is practically a blanket. If you use a heavier yarn, it's probably going to drag. And it's going to weigh a ton. So I'd think carefully about which yarn to use, other than BT. I know the BT will be beautiful - although the yarn can be a bit toothy to work with. There are likely other woolens that would work but I'm not an expert on woolen spun.
PS: I do realize that the BT yarn is an investment. So if you're not totally committed to that expense, I'd consider other pattern or yarn options.
DeleteThanks Kristin for this. I love this cardigan of yours but also love the idea of the follow-up on it. There's a few sweaters I've made that don't get a lot of attention for one reason or another... heh It's great to be honest plus it's good info on what yarns pill and which do not.
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz. I'd love to hear more about people's after-knitting experience of sweaters they slaved over for weeks or months. Just knowing what yarn to stay away from is so key - for example, do not go near Malabrigo for a sweater.
Delete