My First Make Along & Crocheted Cardigan
Since I started crocheting a few years ago my unicorn project was to make a cardigan but it felt really intimidating. I’ve made my fair share of tops now, including a long sleeve sweater which I completed earlier this year. But a cardigan, that still felt too difficult. I have started and frogged many cardigans. One I decided on the pattern but after I began it didn’t like how loose the stitches were. The tension wasn’t the problem the cardigan was meant to be loose and bouncy using a larger hook size than the yarn required for extra ease. Then I found the Maeve Cardigan pattern from Evelyn & Peter and that she was doing a make along all October. I liked the fit and drape of the completed cardigan in her pictures and decided to go for it.
One of my big hang ups when making a new garment is always 1) is it the right garment for how I wear my clothes 2) the right garment for the yarn I have (and do I have enough) 3) is it a doable garment for my skill set? I think the Maeve checks all the right boxes to those questions. Not to mention it is the 3 work in progress (WIP) I have at the moment.
Week 1: Make the back panel
Back Panel is complete
This stitch has a lovely texture!
Week 2: Make 2 Front Panels
I did have to remake one of my panels the left one was 4 stitches short in width but when I took it out and recounted (and recounted and recounted) I found I HAD the correct number of stitches in my ribbing. So I don’t know exactly what I did wrong, but when I made the first row off the ribbing the second time around it, it had the correct number of stitches and groups (the little clusters of treble crochet and 2 double crochets).
My front panels
I decided on no pockets this time around. Since many of my cardigans don’t feature them, I felt like I would use them less. Clearly, these need to be blocked.
Week 3: Make the Sleeves
Almost every sweater I make requires me to make the sleeves twice, and this one was no different. Other than extending this WIP, it wasn’t a big deal. I would rather remake something so I can wear it than have it sit unfinished in a box. I say that, and I definitely have a WIP that has been sitting unfinished for more than a year!
Week 4: Assemble & Seam
While I love crocheting, I dislike seaming. Enough that my next sweater will be a raglan so I won’t have to seam. I’ve tried it once before and didn’t make it very far, but I am motivated to try again! Seaming this one was fairly easy and adding the trim to the neckline was a new technique I had not done before. I enjoy learning something new with each project!
