cardigan knitting – Sisteresque Fibers

HalesBee diary entry: February 2, 2018. Groundhog’s Day! Well, the Grand Groundhog himself, Punxutawney Phil, has announced that we have 6 more weeks of winter knitting time. In between Snapchats with my sisters and wondering just how many incarnations Phil have come and gone over the years, I am making plans to clear some old WIPs (works in progress) and being some intended cast ons.

I will admit, as I’m sure is true for many knitters, I allowed a few projects to go to the wayside over the holiday season. As the New Year began, I then sprung into action on new endeavors and continued to ignore the mass of start ups and promised knits that remain unfinished. No more!

This weekend, among other WIPs, I desperately need to finish a cardigan for my husband, Richard. Partly due to the fact that I started it back in October of last year; but mainly because I have yet to actually complete a garment for him other than socks. This of course leads to much teasing and, in order to prove that, “Yes, I can knit you a cardigan,” I must get this long lingering project off the needles and onto the man of the house. Darn it all, it had better fit!

Progress on Richard’s Cardigan. Project bag shown is from KnitForBrainsDesigns on Etsy.

I have also promised to knit up not one, but two sweaters for my mom this winter. Just 6 weeks left according to Mr. Phil, so I had better get going. The first sweater will be the Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli, a simple but lovely loose fitting sweater. I have dyed up one my own colorways, Jack Frost, just for the project. And yes, you can find that colorway in my HalesBee Handmade shop on Etsy. Yay!

Boxy Pattern and some of my Jack Frost colorway caked up.

The Boxy is ready to be cast on. However, the second promised sweater is still just in the hank phase. I did get the yarn dyed up for mom’s second sweater: Lemongrass also by Joji Locatelli. Mom picked another of my popular colorways, The First Hard Freeze While I won’t cast on until I have finished mom’s Boxy, I do plan to cake up this yarn this weekend and print out the pattern. Hey, every step closer to ready makes me happy!

bty — The First Hard Freeze colorway all dyed up.

I would like to think that my super knitter powers would allow me to get more done that just these few WIPs this weekend, but I know my limits. Finish a WIP, cast on a sweater, print a pattern – that much I can do. I would get into the list of other projects that need to be gotten off the needles and dream knitting that I have in queue, but we might be here all night! No, for now that’s enough for this entry. I hope you have enjoyed this quick update and I wish you a wonderful, crafty weekend!

Love from HalesBee!

If you’re at all plugged in to the fiber world, you’ve no doubt seen the explosion of the fading trend popularized by Andrea Mowry, designer of the Find Your Fade Shawl. I myself have completed both a Fade Shawl and a So Faded Sweater by Miss Mowry.

fade shawl — My enormous Find Your Fade Shawl.

The new fading trend is wonderful in that you can use the technique in essentially any other knitting project. What I love about fading is that it allows me to use my stash of single skeins of gorgeous colorways from indie dyers in a single project. Rather than needing a sweater quantity of just one colorway, you can mix and match and enjoy a variety of colors in a larger project.

Faded Featherweight blocking, before cutting the steek.

This is what I have done with my Featherweight Cardigan, a pattern by Hannah Fettig. I was able to use four different colorways: three from Yarn Cafe Creations, and one from Everyday Yarnworks, both on Etsy (affiliate links).

I did modify the pattern by adding a steek, which allowed me to knit in the round for the body, rather than knitting flat. I’m not the worlds biggest fan of purling long rows, truth be told. I also knit the body a few inches longer than is called for by the pattern, just for personal preference. As an exceedingly short person, I believe (possibly incorrectly) that longer garments elongate my petite figure.

Overall, this was a joy to knit. I find that fading multiple colorways can be very motivating. Whereas with a plain stockinette pattern in one color may become monotonous, this project was exciting. I was always eager to get to the next color and see how they played together.

I highly recommend all three patterns: the Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig, the Find Your Fade Shawl and the So Faded Sweater by Andrea Mowry.

I hope you have enjoyed this entry in the diary of HalesBee Handmade. For more details on the yarns and needles I used, see my project page on Ravelry.

Love from HalesBee

Tag: cardigan knitting

WIP Weekend

Faded Featherweight

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