The Double Moss Stitch Cardigan :: Knitting ::

More on my embroidery here

Happy Monday everyone! Well, isn't it hard to take decent pictures these days. Natural light is quite a precious commodity between the dark hours and the rain. I managed to snap some pictures of my finished cardigan, and I can now tell you how much I love it (now that it has pockets). It is my usual style, an easy to wear oversized cardigan.

I was really worried about the construction of the cardigan. It is not knitted in the round, - you have to sew the pieces together. You would think that because I sew it would be quite logical that this construction appeals to me, well it does not. I actually like knitting in the round. However after this cardigan I may be not so opposed to knit pieces and sew them together. I am not sure my technique is great yet, I totally bluffed it, and it worked, so did not investigate more, but I probably need to pay more attention to the sewing part. 

Pattern: Veste Femme (pattern 22) in Phildar Catalogue A/H 010-11

Yarn: Ecological Wool from Cascade Yarn in silver (see my ethical review here)
Yardage: I  think I used 2 full skeins (unfortunately I had used the yarn for something else, so it was not in full and intact skeins when I knitted with it). 

Needles: 7 mm (to get a light fabric - do try to make a sample to get the right fabric)

Size: I made the size 46/48 based on my gauge

Modifications: I did not make any modifications - even added the pockets. I did block it differently however. I did the neckline, shoulder and arm seams, and block it flat - and then did the side seams. 

Future Modifications: Although I love the double moss stitch, I think it would be interesting to knit this in another stitch to add some visual interest based on the same pattern. Also I may make the front panels larger to add even more drape.

Here is a quick review for you: 

Wearability: 4/5 - It is totally wearable - as soon as it is finished. I did not give it full marks because I do not like the way the edge looks, I would like them a bit neater to make it less hand-knitted (any tips?). 

Time spent: 4/5. I did not keep exact timing, but 3 months for a hand knitted garment for me is fast knitting, I think this could be done in a month if you really focused on it. 

Boredom factor: 4/5. There is so much double moss stitch one girl wants to knit over a month. I was easily distracted by other projects. 

Difficulty: 2/5. There is quite a bit of shaping at the shoulders, but overall it is quite easy to knit as it is mainly based on rectangles. 

Pricing: a bit less than £30 for the yarn and a few evenings of watching your favourite series on Netflix. Not bad value.  

This a great pattern to have for a basic cardigan in any wardrobe. It looks easily adaptable to your needs, and you can easily add more interest than I have done here. I may consider making another one of these. 

Double Moss Stitch WIP :: Knitting ::

Hello Wednesday! And hello WIP day! I am posting this cardigan project as I really need to show my commitment to finish it in the (very) near future - before it gets really cold. It is totally cardigan weather at the moment, so easy - you put it on, and off you are running your errands. Don't get me wrong I love scarves, beanie hats, layering - but it is takes forever to get ready (and this is just half the battle, I have to dress the kids too!). 

This project is quite frustrating as a WIP because you basically knit 3 rectangular-ish pieces that you will sew together. And therefore to actually imagine the cardigan (or whether it is going to be your size after all that knitting) is quite hard - I did not even attempt to take a picture of all the pieces. The model is featured in the Phildar magazine, and I am hoping for a similar result.. But who knows? These pieces do not give me anything - my next cardigan project will have to be knitted in the round.

Also I love double-moss stitch, but I may be having a double moss stitch indigestion here. It is the only stitch used, not a little yarn over, or little cable to break the pattern. However I do love how flat and neat the knitted fabric is, it is going to make it (hopefully) so much easier to put together. 

I am using some yarn from my existing stash - I must have had a massive project in mind, because I have loads of this yarn, but cannot remember what it was. So I am glad this project is using quite a bit of it. It is from the Ecological Wool from Cascade Yarns - you might be interested in my ethical review of the yarn here. This yarn is undyed. 

It is a bit rustic, in fact I was quite reluctant to use it for a cardigan, I was worried that it would be too stiff or too itchy on my skin. However once I made my swatch I was quite pleased with the result - due to the fact that I have to knit with 7 mm needles and therefore the fabric is quite light as a result, and because the cardigan is supposed to oversized and should not be too close to my skin. 

It is all serious reading at the moment. I am more and more interested in finding out about nutrition, and just got Potatoes not Prozac out of the library yesterday. It talks about sugar addiction - how it affects people (oh mood swings, I loathe you) and how to deal with cravings etc. I have managed to eradicate all refined sugar out of my diet, and I am working on the boy's diet. I am hoping this book is going to help me be even more vigilant about hidden sugars in their food. However as it is quite heavy reading for the evening, I am more likely to fall asleep on it... 

I will be joining Ginny today, it is good to be back in blogland!