23 August 2012

A very unseasonal FO: Cadence sweater

Well hello there!

Things have been very quiet around these parts. There has been a little bit of sewing, but not much at all.

But there has been some knitting! Yes, on the warmest weekend of the year so far, I finished off my Cadence sweater. Finally! This is my first ever sweater, and I'm very pleased with the very fact of it.
my first sweater
I started it way back in October last year (oops), when KristenMakes hosted the Cadence KAL for newbie knitters. But I kept stalling: I stopped when I wanted to make some knitted Xmas pressies, then I started up again in February, and made really good progress until I stopped for no particular reason in mid-March. And I sort of forgot about it until last week, when I was rooting around for something to do while watching TV. I only had a sleeve to finish off (I can't believe I left it so long!).
First sweater!
I'm very pleased with it. It grew slightly in length during the blocking stage, but that's no bad thing. The only negative point is the yarn: I used Wendy Aran, which comes in the most ginormous ball - it's warm, but it's so incredibly scratchy. Perhaps it will soften with time, but until that happens, I'll be wearing sturdy knitted tops underneath.

I'm so encouraged by having completed this, that I've already planned my next sweater: the Ladies Classic Raglan by Jane Richmond, using a lovely wine coloured yarn. I'll be casting on this weekend.

Finally, I must thank Kristen of KristenMakes for being so amazing and helpful. I'm so grateful for the detailed emails when I got stuck - and for the amazingly helpful blogposts, which I'm sure I'll refer to again and again in the future.
my first sweater

The sums:
1 x Wendy Aran (500g) in Petrol: £14
Cadence pattern: free!

Total: £14
~ 

I hope to be back soon with some more sewing stuff. I'm working on my second Darling Ranges muslin (I'm already wondering whether this dress is worth all the effort - how very defeatist of me).

Have a lovely weekend and speak soon!
x


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18 comments:

  1. Ooh, this is lovely! I love the color, and it fits you so nicely! I often buy yarn that's too scratchy, too. I need to be more diligent about making sure that I won't need to layer under all my sweaters!

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    1. thank you! I really should consult the Ravelry reviews before buying yarn. I'm hopeful that the yarn for my next project is softer (merino - yum!)

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  2. It's beautiful! The color and fit are spot on.

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    1. Thank you! I've impressed myself!

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  3. That's a great first sweater! I haven't used that yarn myself but I made some stuff in acrylic for my little girl and it was a bit scratchier than I hoped. I found that a bit of fabric softener really helped.

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    1. thank you Helen! I'll definitely try some Woolite, or similar.

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  4. It's lovely!! I'm pretty sure I used that yarn for a cardigan and a shrug, and it does soften up a bit in the wash. Good luck with your next sweater!

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  5. Wow! I love this, especially the colour! I will have to check out the blog/knit along. Hopefully the scratchiness will go soon.

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  6. Warm-ish weather or not, this is gorgeous and probably quite timely as I suspect our 'summer' is on it's way out ;o) I love the colour and the cable detail, it looks so snug and adorable...let's hope the yarn softens up a bit for you ;o)

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    1. thanks! I found the lace detail a bit tricksy, because it was set out as a chart, but once I got my head around it, it was plain sailing.

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  7. Your SO welcome! And the award for determination goes to you, well done for finishing! It looks great! Scratchiness is annoying. I find that yes, with some yarns it can go away over time. The next time you was it, if you haven't already, try soaking it in warm-to-lukewarm water with fabric softener or hair conditioner. Then rinse and lay flat to dry (which will take awhile). This process helps the fibres fluff and soften. I haven't used Wendy Aran so I can't attest to that personally, but the washing process has helped me in the past with other wools. LOVELY work!

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    1. thanks Kristen! hair conditioner is a great tip!

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  8. Oh well done! Now you are ready for the first blizzard of winter! (Which ought to be a long time away but we are predicted frost overnight on Sunday...sob!)
    Oh dear - is Darling Ranges giving you grief? I hope you are able to make it work!

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    1. haha - that is the singly reason why Scotland is a no for me... I just can't cope with the cold, or August frost!

      sigh - the DR dress is quite a pain - I'm on my third muslin - but I've reached the point where I am determined to make it work!

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  9. Well done shivani! As a dawdling new knitter I can only admire your perfect finish! It looks wonderful and a stylish practical make...but I hope the wool softens up for you.

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  10. AMAZING!!!! It's LOVELY! You are so multi-talented xxx

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  11. Lovely jumper and congratulations on your first one.

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