a new favourite cardigan
Last week, I finished my Lady Kina cardigan. I am in love with it, it is just perfect for the changing season. I have worn it every day since I finished it!
I have used Drops Karisma for this cardigan. This is a super wash wool, soft and durable and best of all, cheap. It does smell nice, too. I chose a drab grey for this cardigan because I want to wear it with lots of different clothes. I rather like the colour (if you can call it that), it reminds me of dark Scottish skies. The sky looks just like it today.
The pattern is very simple. The cardigan is knitted top down in one piece. After a few rows of garter stitch followed two rows with increases, lots of increases. This creates a gathered appearance which I really like. There are no further increases after the two rows, just stockinette stitch until the cardigan reaches the underarm. Enough stitches for two sleeves are placed on waste yarn. The remaining stitches make up the body. It is very boring knitting, the only break from the tedium is the garter stitch border on both sides of the cardigan and a few rows of garter stitch at the bottom. The pattern calls for short sleeves but I made mine three quarter length, just long enough to keep me warm but not so long that the sleeves need rolling up for doing the dishes.
Taking photos was difficult. I asked Annie and Richard to take some. Both have a unique talent: they manage to bring out my worst features in every single photo. For example, Annie took one where I am sitting down, tummy rolls spilling over my jeans. Richard took a photo that accentuates my double chin and roseacea acne. It is just useless. I have decided that selfies will have to do for this post. I could have asked Annie to model but she is slimmer and a little shorter and the cardigan would have looked a bit like a potato sack on her.
On a different note, I seem to have a bit of blogging crisis. I find it difficult to keep up with all the blogs I like to read, there are so many. I discover new ones all the time! I often read posts on the go but don't like to comment using my phone (I have sausage fingers). I always think I'll do it later on the laptop but of course I promptly forget. Please accept my apologies if you feel neglected by me. I am there, just in the background.
That's my coffee break over, better get the lab coat back on. Have a lovely day my friends. xx
I have used Drops Karisma for this cardigan. This is a super wash wool, soft and durable and best of all, cheap. It does smell nice, too. I chose a drab grey for this cardigan because I want to wear it with lots of different clothes. I rather like the colour (if you can call it that), it reminds me of dark Scottish skies. The sky looks just like it today.
Taking photos was difficult. I asked Annie and Richard to take some. Both have a unique talent: they manage to bring out my worst features in every single photo. For example, Annie took one where I am sitting down, tummy rolls spilling over my jeans. Richard took a photo that accentuates my double chin and roseacea acne. It is just useless. I have decided that selfies will have to do for this post. I could have asked Annie to model but she is slimmer and a little shorter and the cardigan would have looked a bit like a potato sack on her.
On a different note, I seem to have a bit of blogging crisis. I find it difficult to keep up with all the blogs I like to read, there are so many. I discover new ones all the time! I often read posts on the go but don't like to comment using my phone (I have sausage fingers). I always think I'll do it later on the laptop but of course I promptly forget. Please accept my apologies if you feel neglected by me. I am there, just in the background.
That's my coffee break over, better get the lab coat back on. Have a lovely day my friends. xx
Your cardigan is gorgeous and I'm sure you will get a lot of wear out of it. It is such a useful colour. I'm crocheting myself a cradigan in laceweight yarn! It's going to be a while before it's finished. I'm putting the finishing touches on my Aran coat and hope to blog about it soon. I'm in the same position as you - never seem to have enough time to read and comment or even do posts myself.
ReplyDeleteI love the gathered effect on the yoke. It looks like a lovely cosy and very useful cardigan. I know what you mean about blog reading. It's really hard to keep up.
ReplyDeleteYour cardigan is lovely! I really like the colour. The seasons are changing here too and I could do with something similar!
ReplyDeleteLove your cardigan and the grey will go with so many other things. I love grey, do much gentler on white Scottish complexions than black, but equally smart. I know what you mean about blogging, I am quite ruthless and periodically cull my blog-reading list. This means I have time to read those I love the most. X
ReplyDeleteThe cardigan is a real delight, the colour is so perfect as it will go with anything. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a lovely pattern, I might just have to bookmark it :). I love that colour, I have a cardigan I knit which is almost the same shade :)
ReplyDeleteYour cardigan is just right for this time of year, and I would always prefer grey to black which another option for wearing with everything xx
ReplyDeleteYour cardigan is so nice. I really like the color. I have a fairly sizable wardrobe of black or gray cardigans with all different sleeve lengths because I can throw one on with any outfit. As for the blogging crisis, I understand. We're on spring break this week and I've got very little time for blog-reading. I think it's perfectly fine to comment when you feel like doing so. I certainly don't expect readers to comment on every post I write and I hope they'd extend me the same courtesy! Life is busy. Please don't feel pressured, just enjoy yourself.
ReplyDeleteSigh, I really like your sweater. Increasingly I'm wishing that I could knit. I can crochet, but not knit. It may be time to bite the bullet, watch some UTube and learn how.
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love your new cardigan! It's such satisfying feeling, finishing a knitted object and liking it so much you want to wear it every day. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about blog reading, I keep finding lovely new blogs to read, it's hard to keep up! Wonderful cardigan and a great choice of colour. I can see why you've worn it every day. I'm laughing about your family's inability to photograph you nicely. Much the same here I'm afraid. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteYes, me too - so many blogs, so little time, such a short memory!
ReplyDeleteI love that shade of grey. It's one of my absolute favourite colours - I'd wear the cardigan all the time too!
S x
Christina, you are much too hard on yourself! I love the cardigan - the gathers at the top are simple, but give it interest. If I ever can work up the courage to tackle a sweater for myself, I'll keep this one in mind.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fabulous cardigan. I have this on my wish list and it has been there a long time. I have found that a black and white photo is a little kinder to me when modelling after I have posted the picture showing the colour. Top Tip! Anyway, we love you the way you are.I have also found that children's photos are better because I take myeslf a little less seriously. With Andy, I am trying to do it properly and I look too stiff. Jo x
ReplyDeleteOhhh, I love it and the sneaky peek of your necklace too. I live in cardi's over Autumn and Winter and the colour you have chosen is so versatile. Have a great week xo
ReplyDeletesend your wool to me :) I have this pattern too, if you prefer this one over the other one...
DeleteGreat cardigan and great selfies too!! I really like the colour. Totally understand too about the blogging/comments thing, it is a very difficult thing to balance especially as the weather gets better and you have more to do out and about - just don't stress about it! xx
ReplyDeleteHey Christina,
ReplyDeleteI love a grey cardi. Goes with every colour. Stripes too. My husband takes the worse pics of me. Honestly sometimes I think he must do it on purpose. And I'm with you on the commenting thing. I have been struggling to keep up with returning comments, posting comments and I seem to keep losing my favourite blogs altogether. To be honest I wouldn't worry too much. We do what we can.
Leanne xx
Your cardigan is beautiful! I really love the shape and colour. I'd love to make a cardi like this for me. Maybe one day when I feel brave enough. Don't worry about the blogging thing. I think everyone feels the same, so don't feel pressured. Have a lovely rest of the week! X
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cardi Christina! I have to smile at the different talents in your family (taking photos) we have the same problem here. I'm in the same boat with keeping up with things too, would be nice to have more hours in the day sometime. cheers Wendy
ReplyDeleteHi Christina,
ReplyDeleteGorgeous Cardi!!! Fab colour and I'm loving those garter edges. I'm with you on the commenting/blogging thing completely, it's ok, as someone already said, most of us are in the same boat and understand. Really, don't worry about it, nothing worse when that part of blogging feels like a chore xxx
love it - I have knitted 3 for me and also two variations, but have never thought of knitting longer sleeves until I saw yours. I agree - I wear them and wear them. Such a great easy pattern too. Love your colour wool!
ReplyDeleteoh that grey is gorgeous, and could also be called Northumbrian Skies xxx
ReplyDeletewhat a great cardigan, I may put that on my to do list.
ReplyDeleteIts lovely Christina, Ive loved this pattern since I saw Meredith's, and think even I could manage it with my rusty knitting skills. The only thing that worries me is the gatherdyness at the top - not the making of it, the how it will look. I am somewhat over blessed in the boob department and gathering like this seems to make them seem even bigger! Imagine doing all that knitting and then it doesnt even suit! So not sure whether to go for it or not. Do you think the corners at the top where the button and join is could be pinned bqck to make a sort of collar ?
ReplyDeleteLovely cardi Christina, I like the grey and I like what you did with the sleeves. I know what you mean about keeping up with blogs, although I seem to be reading more than posting at the moment. Enjoy your new cardi. Jane xx
ReplyDeleteIt's fabulous, I love both the style and the colour, it will go with so many things. I think three quarter sleeves will be much better than short sleeves, it will bridge the seasons without being too cold to wear without sleeves. I've never used Drops yarn but I've heard good things about it, I shall have to try it out.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great ... beautiful even stitches, great slleve choice, and my favourite colour :)
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to keep up with all the blogs isn't it ... there are just so many really interesting ones!
That grey you've chosen is such a good colour, it'll go with lots of things and just right for this time of year. Don't worry about having a blogging crisis, life takes over sometimes doesn't it? xx
ReplyDeleteOk I got very excited when I saw this as I printed off this pattern a few months ago and dId a few rows then abandoned it. Yours has turned out beautifully! I really love Drops yarn, although I chose Jenny Watson for this project. You've inspired me to go back to it! X
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a beautiful cardigan. The grey colour is perfect. I wear a lot of grey, because I find it goes with practically everything. And I like nothing better than a tedious pattern! I just finished a fussy lace pattern scarf so something straightforward that I don't have to think about too much would be ideal. I'm going to add this to my list of things to make.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about keeping up with blogs, there are so many lovely ones. I've just started spending a couple of focused hours at the weekend reading them, rather than here and there throughout the week. It takes some self-discipline though, which I'm not sure I have enough of :)