Last year I started to challenge me in knitting. Instead of doing only scarfs, beanies and mittens, I decided to try if I have what it takes to make a knitted sweater. Earlier all my knitted sweater try-outs had ended after 5 cm of knitting, mostly because I didn’t have any instructions or idea of how to knit a sweater. But then, over a year ago, I got inspired by Reetta Pelli. Her knitting instructions seemed easy and were in normal language, and by that, I mean that there were no complicated short versions of knitting language. Furthermore, the knits were beautiful. Still are. After making two sweaters during winter 2018-19 (first, second), I wanted to try something new. So at the end of last year, I started a knitted cardigan as a knitting project for winter 2019-20 using Reetta’s instructions for Rknits Oslo.
I started my project around Christmas but then had a break at the beginning of 2020, until a few weeks back when I decided to finish my cardigan. I have made a rule for myself: I need to finish all started projects before the end of the season. I don’t want to leave any unfinished, half-made projects to wait for the next autumn. And in the end, it took me a bit over two Sundays to knit one front and two sleeves, and finish the first knitted cardigan by me.
I like to make my work to look like me and add my own design, so what I often do is to edit the pattern and instructions a bit. This cardigan wasn’t an exception. I made my version of cardigan ten stitches narrower and armhole curves rounder, added plackets to the front, continuing to the central back, and buttonholes and buttons. It’s nice to notice how much I can edit a knitting pattern even though I haven’t knitted that much yet. I bet that strong knowledge in sewing and patternmaking has a lot to do with that.
However, I couldn’t have done it without Reetta’s instructions. Yet. Maybe someday I am proffs or brave or patient enough to try to knit a sweater or a cardigan just from my head, using my imagination. So far, I can continue doing smaller knits just out of my head, like beanie and mittens. I have shared one of my patterns here earlier, instructions to Myssykkä beanie here. At the moment I’m knitting another beanie, maybe I could share instructions to that one as well if it becomes pretty.
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