This cardigan is actually called #3 Leaf Cardigan from the Japanese book Sekai No Amimono 2008-2009 Autumn/Winter, which title I have seen translated elsewhere as Knitting Around the World. When I found it at my local Mitsuwa marketplace, it was love at first sight- one of those rare patterns I had to start knitting it immediately.
I've actually been planning to knit a Japanese design for years, ever since I saw other English-speaking bloggers using them with awesome results. Now, I don't scare easily (okay, really at all) when it comes to crafting, but knitting a pattern written in a different language had suggested the possibility of enough complications to cause me to procrastinate until I found the perfect pattern.
Now, however, perfect pattern in hand, I had to jump in. And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that knitting a Japanese pattern was pretty darned easy. Of course, the bulk of the pattern was charted. And the resources in the Japanese Knitting and Crochet group on Ravelry had all the information I needed to decipher the rest. This tutorial and this list were especially helpful. Of course, the results were enough to keep me motivated...
I swatched extensively before picking the yarn for this sweater, which is really rare for me- usually I just pick a yarn, knit a rectangle with different needles until I get gauge, and then proceed with the garment. The pattern called for a worsted wool, so I reached for the default Cascade 220. Unfortunately, to get the twisted stitch vines in the pattern to look not wonky, I had to knit with a size 4 needle, which gave a fabric as stiff as steel.
Then I went to my next favorite worsted, Tatamy tweed- the cotton-acrylic blend I used to knit my Arwen vest. The wonkiness was even worse, regardless of needle size. Next, I tried some Lorna's Laces Worsted that I was hoping to get rid of. Same problem.
Finally, I was inspired to try the cheapest yarn in my stash- a tencel-acrylic blend that I bought for $2 a ball at a craft store in Oregon. I had used a yarn that was identical in composition and feel (although, oddly, different in brand), for another vest I started knitting last year, and had loved its softness, smoothness on my hands, and slightly slubby texture.
And it was magic! Although it wouldn't give me quite as crisp stitches as the Cascade did when knit tightly, the slub factor of Flinders obscured the wonkiness of the vines on a size 7, allowing me the lovely drape that this sort of flared cardigan demands. Additionally, I loved the way the leafy pattern looked in the soft purple.
After spending a week swatching, I whipped up the first sleeve in a week. The leaf pattern is so much fun to knit. Even though no two rows are the same and it is necessary to follow the chart very closely, the complexity of the design produces results that are more picture than stitch pattern. I also adore the bottom border- there is a unique stitch that involves passing the third stitch on the left needle over the first two that gives an attractive, flat edge.
My only concern at this point is going to be fit. Observe me holding the sleeve up to my shoulder. It hits above my elbow. Now scroll back up to the model in the pattern pic. Her sleeve hits a few inches above her wrist. I am not sure where the body will fall- my calculations suggest just under my breasts. Hopefully, that will be flattering for a cropped shrug-style sweater. Otherwise, there will be some serious modifying to do!
I've actually knit pretty far into the body now- these pictures are about a week old, and I'm really blazing through this! I'll post another update as soon as I settle my fit concerns and get some more photos taken. Now, back to my mad knitting...
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