This is the Cardigan That Almost Wasn’t.
It’s the Capsule Cardigan from Greenstyle Creations. It came out a helluva mess, but I’ve been enjoying wearing it anyway. You can see from the pics that the front band is a bit too short, so the fronts of the cardigan don’t quite hang properly. I blame it all on the fabric I chose. You know, it’s NOT like it could have been the lack of skill on the part of the seamstress! 😉
This fabric is a woven that stretches widthwise. I didn’t inspect it all that carefully when I bought it and I guess I just assumed it was a knit and would behave accordingly. What I didn’t anticipate was that my serger would chew up and spit out this woven like tobacco at a major league baseball game. When I tried to serge the shoulder seams, rather than joining the seams, the serger just pulled apart the horizontal threads, making one big mess.
I was pretty sure this was destined to be a wadder. (If you haven’t heard the expression before, it’s when something is so far beyond repair you just wad it up and toss it in the trash.) But I futzed around with a zigzag stitch on my regular sewing machine and managed to get the thing put together. It means there are a lot of unfinished seam allowances on the inside that I’m hoping won’t completely unravel in the wash. Well if they do, at least it got some wear before becoming a wadder. I do really like the shape and style of the cardigan so I might try sewing it with a more stable knit…or an actual knit, for that matter!
I’m happy to report that this cowl may be the most heavenly thing I have ever knit! I was perusing the shelves of my local yarn shop, fondling all the yarn like a some entitled guy who hasn’t yet figured out that #timesup, when my fingers happened upon what can only be described as rapture in a skein. It’s Amelie yarn by Illimani, described on Ravelry as “the most luxurious, softest and lightest yarn in the world. It is impossible to describe it with words.” It’s 56% silk, 40% alpaca, and 4% merino, and Ravelry lists its texture as “blown”. Blown AWAY, more like. It really is the most amazing yarn.
This is the Ombre Infinity pattern by Cynthia Parker, which, while not the most detailed or best-written knitting pattern I’ve ever used, was certainly the perfect pattern to show off these 3 colourways of the yarn. I am a *sucker* for anything resembling ombre or gradient.
Can’t help but look beatific while my neck is wrapped in fibre from heaven. It does tend to shed bit of “blown” fluff a lot, but so far no pilling after a couple of months of use.
So if I wear this infinity scarf with this cardigan, does it draw attention away from the shoddy workwomanship on the cardi? Kinda like in the 80s, when girls’ fashion mags told us if we teased our bangs high enough, it would draw attention upward and no one would notice our oversized booty? Lol.
Ready to Wear Fast 2018 Update: have held strong to the pledge not to buy any clothes. I did have to go “unshopping” early in January to return some things I had ordered online in a fit of self-doubt just before the 2018 fasting began. Saw a lot of cute things while I was waiting in line with my returns but I’m seeing them through a different lens now…so much of it is trendy things that will be out of style in 6 months. The disposable attitude we’ve adopted towards clothing is a little nauseating for sure (and the fact that the store was in the middle of January clearance chaos, with clothes strewn *everywhere* in messy piles, certainly added to that feeling). So I haven’t bought any RTW clothing, but I have purchased a lot of fabric. And like 3 lipsticks that I definitely didn’t need. (Anyone else a lipstick addict? Want to join me in forming a new LipAnon group??) I’m thinking of declaring February a no-buying-at-all month just to eliminate the psychological ‘crutch’ of buying anything at all.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
— Lori
Frivolous At Last 
I feel your pain with the shoddy fabric. Maddening. Nevertheless, it makes a great muslin and now you know that you love the pattern and can make one that actually works for you. I really love the scarf. So beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, it might even get me knitting again.
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So sorry the fabric didn’t work out for you. It has the appearance of a handwoven twill made with slub spun yarn, gorgeous looking stuff. It might be worth finishing the seams and replacing the front band if it is natural fibres. The thickness of the slub yarns do make seaming difficult but maybe you could just zigzag the seam allowances. A plain wool or cotton front band might save it. The scarf is also lovely.
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Great ideas, Shelley — thanks for the suggestions. It really is pretty fabric but very hard to work with. Wish I’d anticipated that a bit better and taken my time…as it was, I was just kind of in ‘let’s just at least get this finished’ mode.
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I can’t see any problem with the cardi and the fabric is beautiful. … But maybe in person, it’s different? And I love the scarf! Your description of the yarn makes me wish I knitted.
As for clothes shopping, good for you! I have made a similar resolution–though mine extends to fabric and patterns too. This is the year for me to sew up my already purchased cloth with my already purchased patterns.
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Ooh, good for you, Cherry. I should resolve not to buy any new patterns. I have a tendency to see something on a blog or instagram and get carried away and go buy the PDF right away. But in most cases I already have a pattern that is similar enough that I could use. Good luck with your fast! May you find treasures in your stash you forgot you had. 🙂
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ooh! That scarf is SO beautiful. I agree that the cardi doesn’t look bad at all – I don’t think anyone expects those types of cardis to be super neat anyway. I laughed at your lipstickanon 🙂 I’m in the RTW 2018 fast as well and find myself buying other things too since I’m on a serious fast with RTW, fabric and patterns. The RTW is fairly easy, the fabric KIND OF easy but the pattern binging is only barely under control. Sephora can be a bit of pit for me though so I do avoid it 🙂
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Thanks, Kathleen! I agree it’s hard not to get excited by the latest shiny new pattern. Fingers crossed for you. And I’m staying away from Sephora, too!
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OMG, lipstick is totally my shopping crutch too! Since I can’t get fabric in town, when I have a bad day I end up buying yet another shade of lipstick in a colour I already own! 😉 Love your cowl, love your cardi, sorry the fabric was a bitch!
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I hear you, Gillian! I keep buying the same colour of nail polish, too. lol
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This outfit looks so incredible on you
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Thank you! 🙂
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May the force be with you this 2018! You have the abilities to make your whole wardrobe, girl! I have managed to stay away from RTW clothes (i only buy my undies and shoes), by buying only the best fabrics, in natural fibres (cotton, wool, silk, viscose), sometimes even organic. If the fabric is precious, I sew it better, as if it was high couture. There is nothing in the shops that can compete with that! The consumer in me is happy buying expensive fabric , and the ecological in me is also content avoiding polyester.
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Amazing! Thanks for the inspiration.
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Cardi looks good to me! Really nice scarf… love the description of the yarn 🙂
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Thanks, Chris!
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Hey there fellow faster! I’m doing it too, officially since this year, but unofficially since 2015. I have a lot of clothes, and I do mean, a lot! So it was not hard at all. I do tend to binge on patterns and occasionally on fabric to make up for it, but most of all shoes! And very expensive ones lately as I have the excuse of not spending so much on clothes.
The cardi looks great, awesome fabric. A few suggestions if you are inclined in revisiting the insides. Try iron-on stay tape on seam allowances, or iron-on interfacing strips in the bias. Really helps with the over locking. Also, fabric chewing is a sign of nicked knives. I sewed over a pin and it seemed fine initially, but then I got the chewing. Took out the knife and I saw the nick. Had to replace it and it was fine on the same fabric.
The scarf is awesome, I want to reach through the picture and pet it!!
Happy fasting!
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