PROJECT/CLASS Carbeth Cardigan

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Carbeth Cardigan

Check out my new Carbeth Cardigan – I just finished blocking it, and it’s definitely a win. It was relatively quick, and I only used two skeins of Cascade Eco Peruvian Tones, so the price tag isn’t precious. I would totally make this sweater again, and in fact, I was so impressed with the design that we’re offering it as a class this February! 

Fit

The fit is great! I made the second size and it fits true to a size small (sometimes with sweaters with a lot of ease through the body it’s hard to tell which size will fit. I wasn’t sure the decorative detail in the shoulder would make me happy (diagonal lines in that area don’t always flatter petite shoulders) but I was very happy and surprised to find that they made my tiny shoulders look great! It’s hard to see on the mannequin because it has even less shoulder than I do, but the lines are very elegant. I think the sweater will look great with a high waisted pant like a trouser cut (unfortunately, another garment my mannequin doesn’t wear well). 

Happy Accidents

A small note about the colour of my yarn – it is not supposed to stripe or knit in blocks of colour. There seems to have been a problem with the dye lot I used, which was actually from last year’s stock. It looks like the dye was more saturated in part of the skein. After I figured out what was happening I decided to go with it – I wasn’t in the mood to rip it all back, so I figured I’d take a leap of faith, thinking it might look interesting or add something aesthetically. I think it did. 

Check Your Gauge

I swatched A LOT to make sure my tension was accurate. My tension may not be what yours is, so PLEASE swatch and measure your gauge before casting on!  The needles I used may not be the right size for you. The pattern called for 6.5mm/US10.5 needles, but I ended up going down to a 5.5mm/US9 to get the right tension. 

To measure your gauge, you want to knit a square approximately 6 inches x 6 inches in the stitch that the pattern suggests (if they say their tension is in stocking stitch, then do that). Wash your swatch in cold water with a delicate wash like Eucalan or Soak, and lay it flat to dry. Then, on a hard surface with a ruler, measure the number of stitches and rows inside 4 inches/10 cm in the centre of the piece. DO NOT cast on the number of stitches that are stated in the pattern gauge, this will make a swatch that is too small to measure your tension accurately. How many stitches should you cast on for a swatch? Take the number of stitches in the pattern’s recommended tension (ex. 14 sts = 4″/10cm) and multiply it by 1.5 … so if the tension is 14 stitches you should cast on about 21 stitches.  Also, always swatch with the same needles you are going to knit with – people’s tension can change with their comfort level with different types of needles. 

Materials

Yarn Alternatives

For a more luxe cardie try Diamond Luxury Collection Baby Alpaca Sport and 7mm/US10.75 (& 6mm/US10) needles (alpaca tends to be very stretchy, so consider going down a size in the pattern). If you need a yarn that’s machine washable, try Berroco Vintage Chunky and 6mm/US10 (& 5mm/US8) needles.

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