The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

Caitlin's Cardi

To say that I’m happy with the way this sweater turned out is an understatement! Just to catch everyone up, I stole a sweater from my friend Caitlin that she found at a thrift store in order to try to duplicate it because I loved it so much.

The Original Caitlin Cardi

I’ve spent a lot of time with this sweater. We are best friends now, really. I know a lot of her secrets. Which I am going to tell you because I’m a catty bitch like that:

1) I’m pretty sure this sweater was shrunk somewhere along the way because it really feels felted. The more I knit the stitch pattern I figured out it was worked in, what I’ve been calling the lazy man’s seed stitch, the more I noticed that mine looks super textured, where this poor old girl has been worked pretty hard.

2) This sweater is for sure a hand knit. In all my staring I found a few mistakes in the stitch pattern, but the seaming is perfect. I kept looking for seaming mistakes to confirm my hand knit suspicions, since anyone would be able to take one look at the inside of one of my sweaters and know instantly it’s hand made, but there are none.

3) She’s got a single crochet button bands and neck edging!

Cables, Crochet Button Bands

Cables, Crochet Button Bands

It’s a really smart and easy way to make button holes if you know how to crochet and if you can get that first row down. I had a hard time spacing the single crochets to make sure the front of the sweater didn’t pucker.

4) These sleeves are off the chain.

Puffed, Cabled Sleeves

Puffed, Cabled Sleeves

I started at the top of the shoulder with the cable band, did some fancy PU trickery, and knit the sleeves from there. Top. Down. Sleeves.

Puffy Sleeves!

I feel like Anne of Green Gables up in here! I accidentally typed Anne of Green Cables at first. **Filing that away for a future sweater name**

5) She’s got kinda boring pockets. That I modified to be way cuter!

Boring Pockets

HOTT Pockets!

I added a Cable Band to the tops of the mini pockets, just for a little added jazz and a little more depth. I mean, still pretty functionless, but if you aren’t going to have function you might as well be as cute as possible!

2/8/10 EDIT: Only need size 42″ test knitter now!

I want to have this sweater pattern available ASAP because I’ve already been getting some lovely feedback about it. And some scary threats that if I don’t have this pattern out soon I’ll find a horse head in my bed. So I need two more text knitters! If you are interested in test knitting the 34″ or 42″ bust size options email me at allyson[at]thesweatshopoflove[dot]com for more information.

I’ve been hesitating to call this my February Sweater for the Knit a Sweater a Month Challenge because, well.

Body Mostly Done

I accidentally almost finished the body of Caitlin’s Sweater.

Cabled Front Edging

Original Cabled Fronts

There is a crocheted button hole band and neck edging, so other than that, which is a finishing touch, I think it looks pretty good!

Sweater's Body Stitch

I’ve got the body stitch down and it isn’t driving me too crazy. It’s like the lazy man’s seed stitch. And you all know I am a lazy man when it comes to seed stitch.

Half Rib Seed Stitch Thing

So this sweater is perfect!

I jumped the gun on the January Sweater (blasted January Sweater) so I don’t want to do it again. I was sad and I wanted to knit a sweater. Maybe I’ll have it finished by the 1st so I can start another sweater?

I might have a problem.

The Target

A few weeks ago I spotted this sweater on my friend Caitlin and fell in love. After a lot of inappropriate groping I asked to borrow it.

Tiny Pockets, Cables

Caitlin said she got it at a resale shop, so it took me a lot longer than it should have to realize this is a hand-knit sweater. It just didn’t dawn on me that someone would donate a hand knit. My mom pointed out that the knitter might have just outgrown it, or gave the sweater to someone who didn’t like it.

I Mean, Cables on the Sleeves!

So I’m going to do something I’ve never done before and recreate this sweater with no pattern or direction. It’s a worsted weight wool or wool blend in a seed stitch rib with 6 sts cables and a single crochet button band and collar edging. Simple, right?  … … right?

Single Crochet Button Band

Have you ever attempted to write a pattern based on an existing knit? Any help would be great!

... There Was a Sale!

I went a little crazy at JoAnn this morning in anticipation of tackling Caitlin’s sweater. All of the yarn at JoAnn was on sale and today was the last day! What was I supposed to do?

I got four skeins of Paton’s Classic Wool in Jade Heather that I’m really excited to jump into for this sweater! I am always knitting other people green things but never myself.

I also picked up six skeins of Bernat Satin in Admiral. The blue is stunning and it was on super sale. I’ve never used it before but it’s really soft and perfect for a project I can’t get out of my head.

Reglan Wrap

Next to the yarn in the picture you can see I snagged my own copy of Boutique Knits from Tara! Everyone at The Sweatshop has been ogling the projects in this book forever and it hasn’t left my coffee table since I got it. Specifically this Reglan Wrap! I must have it. I think it will be really pretty in that blue.

Oh, and that huge skein of Bernat Cotton was half off and perfect for these:

Crocheted Flower Hot Pads

These are so pretty and perfect last minute hostess gifts. Or, for me. And probably for my mom once she reads this post.

I can’t possibly sit here on the computer any longer with all this yarn around me and not be knitting. Have a great (wild card) weekend!