Currently viewing the tag: "2012Cardigans"
Part the First, January – March
As a reminder, pattern links are Ravelry links. All photographs from Flickr are copyright their respective owners and used for illustration and inspiration only.
April – Petrea by Amy Herzog
I fell in love with this cardigan the moment I saw it. Amy’s patterns are always so gorgeous and elegant but simple. I think this cardigan may have been part of what spurred me to want to do this 12 Cardigans in 2012 project in the first place. The original yarn called for would cost a fair penny and I miiiight use it anyway because it would be fabulous, I’m sure, but Madeline Tosh Vintage seems like a good substitute and several other projects have been done using it and look great as well. I’m torn between several colors at the moment, but it’ll probably depend on what’s available when it comes time to buy it. So far, I like Amber Trinket, Forestry and Lepidoptera.
I have really high hopes for this cardigan and may end up making more than just one!
May – Honeybee Cardigan by Laura Chau
This is a cardigan that I think will be great as a learning experience for me and should also boost my self-confidence as a knitter and as a cardigan-wearer, as I expect it will get lots of compliments, especially after I tell people I knit it myself. I haven’t yet decided if I will do a full length or cropped version – I think that will largely depend on how fit I am when it comes to making it. If it’s a good pattern, I might end up making a full length first and then a cropped one later.
I had contemplated using a double ended zipper for this one, but I think that might interrupt the flow and femininity of it. It’ll be very fun to choose buttons for this I think.
I will use Malabrigo Sock yarn, and I think I’ll use the color Impressionist Sky (though again, that might depend on what’s available when it comes time to buy the yarn).
June – Tappan Zee Cardigan by Amy King
I have 8 oz of Frog Tree yarns Meriboo top to spin up into this cardigan.
I am so excited to start spinning it up (though it will have to wait until after I actually get a spinning wheel). I am hoping to have the yarn spun and plied well before June, so that I can get more if needed. Actually I don’t think I’d be able to get the same color, so I’d try for a coordinating color, but I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it.
In any case, I expect this to be an absolute delight and suspect that I may have several Tappan Zees come off my needles in the coming years.
Have you knit up any of these patterns? What do you think of them?
I’m really excited about making 12 cardigans next year. I’ve been planning for a few months now, finalizing patterns and pairing them with yarns. I want to be open to changes throughout the year – I won’t stick with a certain cardigan if I don’t feel it anymore or if another one comes out that I like better. My goal is to have 12 cardigans at the end of the year that I absolutely adore and love wearing. (Pattern links are Ravelry links. All photographs from Flickr are copyright their respective owners and used for illustration and inspiration only.)
January – Liesl by Ysolda Teague
It’ll be a quick knit (judging from my previous attempt) and I think it’ll be just the thing to get me started with this project! I’ll need to put buttons all the way down the front, I think, just so it fits my body type better, but that’s okay because I like buttons. 
February – February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne
This is a crazy popular pattern, but I’d love to have my own. This will also require buttons down the full front (most likely). I want to use Malabrigo Rios in either Ravelry Red or Purple Mystery. I think if I use Purple Mystery for this (which would be fitting as it’s the February Lady Sweater, my birth month and amethyst is my birthstone), I would definitely use the French Blue for Liesl.
March – The Cooke Cardigan by Amy Herzog
I love the closure Amy uses here, so might try for something similar. I’ll probably end up wearing it open a lot too, which looks great.
I’ll write about the rest in 3 more installments. Don’t want to overwhelm you, or me, with writing about all 12 (plus some standby patterns) at once!
Have you knit up any of these patterns? What do you think of them?
I apologize for my brief absence – life happens! I have the tools now to regularly podcast, so that is my plan. Thanks for tuning in again this week!
I’m considering a Ravelry group for the podcast – do you have any suggestions or thoughts about that?
Also, please excuse my dust as I figure out the podcast segments and fine-tune everything. Thank you!
Weekly Serendipatiousness
I checked out two local yarn stores last Saturday morning – The Recycled Lamb and Knit Knack. Neither are super close to me, but every once and a while, I think making the drive is worth it. From The Recycled Lamb I picked up 12 balls of Hempathy in a color called Sap Green that I ADORE, but never would have bought from an internet retailer, so that was quite fortuitous! I can’t wait to figure out what cardigan to use it for for my 12 Cardigans in 2012 project. Possibly, the Pinnate cardigan, since the pattern calls for Hempathy.
Pinnate Cardigan, from Savory Knitting
Weekly Strategy
I started organizing my Ravelry queue for holiday knitting. When I went to the yarn stores, it was with an eye toward yarns I can use for my holiday knitting projects. I’m excited to get those started and to really be ahead of the game. I’d rather not be knitting any holiday gifts on Christmas Eve! I’ve already swatched for Little Miss Greenjeans and Ice Queen, so I’m planning ahead!
What I’ve Been Working On
Liesl! Finished knitting her this past Sunday night after I couldn’t get the podcast recording to work. Wove in the ends while podcasting and I can’t wait to wear her! (With appropriate clothing, that won’t show the shedding so much.) WOO! I also started a pair of vanilla socks for my fella. I’m trying to get the perfect pattern down for his socks so I can remember it and knit them whenever. I’d like to also find the perfect pattern for my socks, so I can do the same for my own socks. Eventually, I’d love nothing more than to have a drawer full of handmade socks.
Are you participating in the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL 2011: Earth & Sky by Stephen West? I’m loving how mine is turning out!
Future Projects (or, What I’m Looking Forward To)
Starting some holiday gifts. Wearing Liesl for the first time, though she does need a shawl pin or something for closure since I skipped buttons and buttonholes this time.
In a few weeks, my mom, older sister and I are going to go to a painting class. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at canvas painting, but most of the classes available at the big box hobby stores are during times when I’d be at work. This will be on a weekend, so I’m really looking forward to it.
I’ll be taking a spinning class in October to more easily learn on a wheel. Yay!
I’m on the waiting list for the Sequoia Spinning Wheel by Benjoanie Enterprises, as heard on the Spin Control podcast. As the wheels are handmade, it will be quite some time before I get my new wheel. I might get a used one, or I might try my hand at making my own spinning wheel, analog or electric – I’m not sure yet though.
Neat!
Digital Magazines! I ordered the 2009 Interweave Knits magazine collection on CD and I love the layout and ease of browsing through the magazine. I’ve also downloaded Zinio, a digital magazine app, on my iPod Touch and now my MacBook and I love it. I subscribed to the digital Interweave Knits and it’s really great. I don’t have to figure out where to store them after I’ve read them but I can always go back to them if I need them.
Awesome Media to Craft By
I’ve been catching up on Eureka. In fact, this newly completed Liesl will probably be dubbed my Eureka Liesl. I love the show, and am sad that it’s not being picked up for another season.
Also, I’m really looking forward to watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and concurrently reading Memories of the Future, Vol. 1 by Wil Wheaton.
Contact and Feedback
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Thank you for your Flattry!
