Levenwick Cardigan

I’m done knitting this cardigan! This has been, no joke, a cardigan two years in the making. I am not a prolific knitter at all, in fact I’d call myself pretty inexperienced. I only allow myself to have one “big” project on the go at once because otherwise I feel overwhelmed. I often have a pair of socks in the background, but there’s only ever one cardigan or sweater or hat underway at once. I started this two years ago and ended up taking a full year hiatus in the middle, so it’s a good thing I haven’t changed size since then. The pattern is the Levenwick cardigan by Gudrun Johnston, and I used a 50/50 cotton merino blend from OWool called Balance in the colour Emerald. With a closer fitting cardigan like this, I didn’t want to use 100% wool because I’m very prone to itchiness and a rash from wool directly against my skin.

Part of what drew me to this design in the first place was the BEAUTIFUL button and collar band. It’s a traditional stitch pattern called Old Shale, and I think it really makes the cardigan. I also loved that the cardigan is asymmetrical, and that it has raglan sleeves. It’s knit all in one piece besides the front button band which is knit and attached close to the end. I thought that would be better for me because the first time I made a sweater it was a DISASTER. It was knit in pieces and then seamed together, and I thought I had the correct gauge but apparently I didn’t because once I put it together it was hopelessly small and also insanely ugly. Goodness knows why I chose a colour that was basically poop brown, maybe I thought it would be “neutral” and “versatile” but it was just the worst. And it was 100% wool and super itchy and then the stupid thing didn’t even fit anyway! It has since found a new home so I don’t have to look at the infernal thing.

When I was getting the sweater itch again, I knew more and decided something that was knit all together instead of seamed would be better, since I could try it on as I went. As well, I knew more about this mysterious thing called gauge (“real” knitters are probably laughing at me right now because it’s actually hella important). I couldn’t get the proper gauge the pattern wanted, but I got pretty close width-wise, and then adapted the amount of rows throughout the pattern based on the amount of rows per 4″ that I was getting, and it worked pretty well. It really only mattered for the increase parts, because all the rest of it I could try on as I went and keep track of how many rows I ended up knitting. It worked out that I am a copious note-keeper when I knit, because when I took a year off from this and then picked it up again, I could see EXACTLY where I had stopped!

I’m really really happy that it’s done and I love the finished result! My colour choice was much better this time as well. My eyes are hazel and when I wear greens like this are prone to looking greener, which I’m a big fan of. I originally had different buttons for this, but then when I went to try them in the buttonholes (which are integrated into the Old Shale pattern, so are above my skill level to try to change the size of), my buttons were too big so I had to find other ones. I love the original buttons, so I’m definitely saving them for another project, but these are very close as well and I think they look great! I’m so proud of this project and am super glad I finally finished it! Next up, I have a double-knit scarf in the works that I started my swatch for yesterday. It’ll be fun to work on something with more than one colour.

Next Saturday I’m leaving to go on a solo trip to Finland and Iceland for 17 days, which I’m SO EXCITED ABOUT and will definitely be posting about here, so stay tuned. 🙂