Cardigan Obssession

I was recently having a conversation about whether blogging is “dead” and how it seems less relevant in contrast to the exciting world of engaging, short-form content on social media platforms. It got me thinking about this space here at Rambling Roses Design, where I love sharing my thoughts and my passion for celebrating handmade, slow fashion.

My blog content is definitely uber niche. Visual, short-form content is what most people gravitate toward these days. Still, writing about my crafting journey and connecting with my wonderful group of followers genuinely sparks joy! So, I’m going to stick with it. 🙂

Lately, I’ve been on a bit of a cardigan kick. I’m at the stage in life where I’ve been perfecting the art of layering—hello, hot flashes! Cardigans and vests have become essential pieces in my handmade wardrobe, and I’m loving the versatility they bring.

The Maggie Cardigan by Petiteknit has been on my needles for a few weeks. The yarn I am using is Yarnadelic from John Arbon Textiles, a mill located in North Devon in the UK. The colour is a gorgeous rusty brown called Galetta Guitar—what a fun name! Yarnadelic is 100% Falklands Corriedale, and while it is woolly, it feels wonderfully soft.

At first glance, the Maggie Cardigan may seem like a basic knit. But it’s full of thoughtful details and interesting construction techniques that keep it engaging. I’ve made a few modifications to suit my fit preferences (more on that in a future post!), which meant ripping back several times—but that’s part of the beauty of slow fashion and making your own clothes. Every stitch tells a story, and every mistake is a lesson.

Just look at that little sleeve cap starting to take shape—so satisfying!

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Calm Down Tee

The Calm Down Tee has been one of my most-worn summer knits this June and I am so happy with the details on this garment. The tee pattern by Lily Kate France is really well written, and I love the fit – it’s just right. I ended up making mine a bit longer in the body so that I can wear it tucked if I want. I added a bit of positive ease after the sleeves for a breezy feel.

At first glance, this top looks like a plain knitted t-shirt; however, it has so many interesting details. The shoulder ribbed design is carried onto the sleeves and also down the sides of the body. The sleeves and shoulders are shaped to ensure a good fit on top. There are also clear instructions for many of the techniques used in the pattern, which I appreciate. The neckband, sleeve cuffs and hem are all finished using an Italian tubular bind-off to keep the edges neat.

It is a really good pattern to use as a base. I think if I swapped the yarn for one with some wool content and lengthened the sleeves, it will make a lovely top for the winter too. But first, I am thoroughly enjoying wearing the Calm Down Tee this summer.

The yarn I used, Sandnes Garn “Line”, washes well. I have chucked it in the machine on a gentle cycle quite a few times and it has held up nicely. I’m all about easy-to-care garments in the summer with all the sunscreen and bug spray that is mandatory!

Calm Down Tee (Ravelry Project Page)
Pattern: Calm Down Tee by Lily Kate France
Yarn: Sandnes Garn Line in “1015 Kitt”
Needles: US 4, 5 & 6 / 3.5 mm, 3.75 mm & 4 mm

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Tee Stack

It is almost summer, and I have been enjoying pottering about in our small garden, sitting outside in the sunshine with a good book, trying out new recipes, and crafting for the warmer months ahead. I have also been adding to my handknit tee collection. Knitted t-shirts can seem counterintuitive, but these items can be useful additions to round out a handmade wardrobe. These seasonally appropriate tops are often made using breathable, cool fibers like linen, cotton, and silk. And the best part is that I can customize them to suit my style and shape.

My favourite yarn to use for a knitted tee is Sandnes Garn Line, which has a blend of cotton, linen and viscose. The fabric produced when using Line is cool to the touch, washes well and softens with use. Additionally, this yarn comes in a range of colours, which is always fun.

I just wrapped up the knitting on the Calm Down Tee by Lily Kate France. And then, surprise, surprise… the second garment currently on my needles is also by Lily. I think her designs are always top-notch with many thoughtful details and an excellent fit. This pattern is called the Movement Tee for which I am using Line in a spicy red paired with beige. The fun part about this garment is the stripes for a relaxed look. Stripes always seems to make the knitting go faster!

I have to always remind myself that knitting with plant-based yarns can be hard on one’s hands due to the inelasticity of the fibers. Taking frequent breaks and knitting smaller projects that don’t weigh down your wrists can help avoid hand pain.

A stack of tees in every shade sounds like a fun idea for summer knits

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An April Cardigan For April

The April Cardigan that I spoke about recently is done, and it is a perfect piece for spring. This cardigan was in my WIP pile for ages as I got distracted by other knits. I am so glad I finished it because we have the perfect spring weather for me to put this garment to good use.

This cardigan pattern by PetiteKnit has a V-neck, saddle shoulders, and contiguous sleeves. The top part of the body then goes on to a typical raglan-style construction. All these techniques used in the design result in a cardigan that has a great fit.

For my version of the April Cardigan, I used my favourite yarn duo of Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair, which were held together. The fabric is soft, fluffy, and luxurious, and I love the colour. I added about an inch in length to the body of the sweater. The other modification I made was to swap out the ribbing on the buttonband for a double-knit buttonband. I am so happy I made this switch because the finished look is exactly what I wanted.

I was thrilled that I found the perfect buttons at Black Sheep Yarns, which is just the icing on the cake.

This sort of garment is so useful for these transitional seasons when the weather is neither here nor there. My new spring cardigan is giving me so much joy and is going to be such a versatile piece in my wardrobe!

April Cardigan (Ravelry Project Page)
Pattern: April Cardigan by PetiteKnit
Yarn: Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair in “Blue Tit”
Needles: US 6 & 7 / 4 & 4.5 mm

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Finish Line… Almost!

I am so glad cardigans were invented because this item of clothing is perfect for the shoulder seasons. I have had the April Cardigan by Petiteknit in my knitting basket for ages, and I have been working on it on and off over the past little while. The slow process of creating this garment has been so enjoyable and I’m eager to be able to wear it soon.

This design has some interesting elements that I have never knit before. The pattern begins with saddle shoulders at the top and sleeve caps that are shaped simultaneously. This type of design feature provides a neat fit over the shoulders which, in my opinion, makes a garment look well-constructed. I am hoping the fabric puckering at the shoulders will even out when this piece is washed and blocked.

Unlike Petiteknit’s usual style of generous positive ease, the April Cardigan pattern is slightly more fitted and has a wide hem at the bottom. I have swapped out the ribbed button band for a double-knit one instead. The process of knitting a double-knit button band is time consuming but the result will give this cardigan a polished look once I am done. I found a really good video by Kimmie Munkholm to create buttonholes without snipping the yarn and it works like a charm.

The most exciting part is coming up though… choosing buttons!

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FIX OR FROG

What to do when your yarn doesn’t play ball with your chosen pattern? Do you fix your project or just frog your knitting and repurpose the yarn for a different design?

I shared last time that the most exciting project I was working on was the Calm Down Cardigan by Lily Kate France. Since that post, I made lots of progress and finished knitting the whole body. While I was knitting, I had a niggling feeling that my yarn choice was hindering the way the finished sweater was supposed to look. But I kept going forward following the pattern instructions and even completed a lengthy tubular bind-off.

I didn’t actively measure my progress along the way and things “seemed” to be fine. But then once the body was done, I tried it on and the half-finished cardigan almost visibly lengthened in front of my eyes! Gah!!

I thought the armholes were quite deep on this pattern so adding a sleeve would tighten things up. Nope, it’s still too long. I had forgotten to consider that this beautiful, soft yarn is comprised of 70% alpaca fiber! Alpaca, while it is so soft and dreamy, doesn’t have great memory and spring, unlike pure wool. No wonder my sweater was growing in length as the weight of the fabric increased.

I could choose to rip out a bit of the sweater and shorten the body length. However, is there any guarantee that the fabric won’t continue to stretch out with wear? Unfortunately, I will have to frog this project and use the beautiful yarn for a different design. I still want to knit the Calm Down Cardigan because this pattern is very well written and has so many great details. However, I will choose my yarn very thoughtfully next time 🙂

I had to remind myself that when a pattern-yarn combination isn’t the best match, I need to be fearless and frog my knitting. I will be much happier to restart than have a sweater sit unworn and unloved in my closet.

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Documenting My Craft Projects

Does anyone make New Year’s resolutions anymore? I am a long-standing member of the no-resolution camp. However, this year I have a new year “goal”. I am determined to document my creative pursuits more. Whether it’s via my blog or on my online journaling app — Day One. I found Day One through a recommendation by Youtuber, Ali Abdaal and have been using the app regularly since 2023. I have to say journaling via this online medium has been the most cathartic part of my day. Using the daily journaling prompts, adding quotes from books I am reading, or jotting down recipes has been a good discipline to focus my thoughts and reduce the noise. I tried writing in a physical journal before but found that I wasn’t as consistent.

In Day One, I have many sub-journals for travel, creativity, investing, faith, gratitude, etc. I was glancing through all the posts in my crafting sub-journal the other day and realized that I have so many projects documented there. I haven’t even talked about them here on my actual “creative” blog. These are projects that I have knitted, crocheted, and sewn – for me or as gifts. I have abandoned projects due to fit issues or a lack of interest. I have made things that have been donated or gifted. And then there are some projects that I have worn many, many times because they are favorites. Writing about the journey from idea to completion is something that I want to be better at.

I currently have 3 knitting projects and 1 crochet project on the go. The first one is an April Cardigan by PetiteKnit. I just have to complete the sleeves and the button band on this one.

 

The next one is a tank top that has been relegated to the bottom of the pile because it is boring with just plain rounds.

This crochet project is exciting because I want to get better at my crochet skills. I am using a tutorial by NautiKrall Crochet to make these fun squares.

But the project that is my favorite at the moment is the Calm Down Cardigan by Lily Kate France. So many fun new techniques and genius construction. I can’t seem to put this cardigan down. My knitting companion agrees 🙂

I will share about these projects more over here on my blog because my crafty mojo is definitely back and I am excited about continuing to curate a handmade wardrobe 😀

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Coloring Book Tee But Make It A Sweater

When the leaves turned last November, I had the urge to cast on something to celebrate pumpkin spice season. The perfect autumnal color “Rust” in Knitting for Olive was in my yarn stash and I decided that it had to become a sweater.

I went to Instagram and Ravelry to look for inspiration and of course, there are a bajillion options. I have followed Aimee Sher and their wearable design portfolio for a while now. Aimee specializes in great fit and modification options with their patterns, so I picked the Coloring Book Tee as my fall sweater thinking I could be done in a month. Haha, who was I kidding? Skinny yarn, skinny needles and tiny stitches — definitely a long-term project in the making.

November turned into December and then we headed into an early spring and other projects distracted me. If you are a creative person, you will understand this perpetual work-in-progress phenomenon. This year, when the first hint of fall was in the air, I was thrilled to have a half-finished sweater in the perfect autumnal shade. I worked on it steadily and just like that, a project that traveled from last year’s WIP pile into this year’s fall knitting queue was done!

The pattern at first glance seems like a simple, top-down tee design that’s been done by so many designers. But Aimee’s fit guidance, compound raglan construction method, bust dart options, and twisted rib details make this one of the projects I am so proud to have completed.

Even though this is a pattern for a tee I wanted to make this garment cool weather friendly. I chose to knit 3/4 length sleeves, who am I kidding… I was forced to knit 3/4 length sleeves because I lost at yarn chicken 😉 I picked a size with less positive ease so that I can style my sweater on its own or layer it under a warm coat or jacket on extra chilly days.

While the lightweight nature of KFO Merino seemed like my project was neverending, it was worth the patience for the wearable result it produced making my Coloring Book Sweater perfect for all seasons or for just being silly!

Coloring Book Sweater (Ravelry Project Page)
Pattern: Coloring Book Tee by Aimee Sher
Yarn: Knitting for Olive Merino in “Rust”
Needles: US 5 & 6 / 3.5 & 4 mm

Everyone needs a handknit to celebrate sweater weather 🙂

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Rita Vest

Gorgeous October is here with its beautiful fall colours and crisp autumn weather. The beginning of cozy season is always a wonderful shift. As a creative person who enjoys curating a handmade wardrobe using slow fashion, this is especially an inspiring time of year. It’s called Sweater Weather for a reason!

Kicking off my seasonal handmade creations with a cozy vest. This slipover/vest called Rita, is a pattern that was released in Wardrobe Toolbox. This is a subscription platform of which I have been a member for the past few years. Wardrobe Toolbox has helped me be fearless in the customization of my handknit garments and the knowledge I have gained by being a part of this community is unmatched. Back to my vest – Rita is a super cozy, super cute and super comfortable layering piece!

The details on this vest are really nice, with European shoulder construction, textured bands around the armholes, and extra chunky ribbing details throughout. There are two versions of this design. One with a longer length and side slits or a cropped style which is the version that I chose to knit.

I used two yarns held together from De Rerum Natura for my Rita to produce a chunky fabric. The yarns are Gilliatt (worsted weight) and Berenice (lace weight). We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving earlier this week which was the perfect opportunity to wear this vest – cozy without being too warm and in the perfect autumnal shade called “Caramel”.

This was just before I blocked the garment and finished weaving in all the ends. The fabric was quite stiff and my stitches were uneven.

Blocking made such a huge difference! I styled my Rita vest with a (not so) classic white shirt with eyelet details. I could see myself wearing this over a long-sleeved turtle neck as the weather gets cooler and I need more warmth. I will definitely knit this pattern again because it is so versatile and quick to make.

I cannot believe that I have never owned a vest or slipover before and now that I have one, I can totally see the appeal of having more of these in my closet. When these pieces are handmade and customized to suit my taste, it is a winning combination.

Rita Vest (Ravelry Project Page)
Pattern: Rita by Libby Jonson currently only available through Wardrobe Toolbox
Yarn: De Rerum Natura Gilliatt & Berenice both in “Caramel”
Needles: Sizes 6.5 & 7.00 mm

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Springline Tee

I just finished test knitting the Springline Tee for Samantha Guerin and I love it. I have been a huge fan of Samantha’s patterns and I have knit her Salty Air Tee quite a few times. The Springline Tee is just as enjoyable and the design, the fit and the test knitting experience were all top notch.

This knitted tee uses a drop shoulder construction where you knit the front and back separately while you shape the shoulders and the neck and then you join the pieces together and finish the rest of the body. The neckband and sleeves are completed at the end using ribbing.

I loved the pattern instructions for the lace panel to flow seamlessly where you join the front and back and also the neckline shaping is excellent. When designers pay attention to details like this, it makes for a well-thought-out design and gives a nice fit.

I used Knitting for Olive Pure Silk in the colorway “Poppy Blue”. It is definitely bright and poppy and will make a fun addition to my spring and summer handmade wardrobe. The Pure Silk felt a bit crisp and dry to the touch while knitting. This is because this yarn is bourette silk (raw silk) produced from silk fibers collected from broken cocoons after the chrysalises are allowed to mature into moths and escape. I love that this yarn is ethically produced and is free from harmful chemicals. Pure silk has temperature-regulating properties making it an excellent fiber choice for summer garments.

Check out the various Springline Tees by other test knitters over on Instagram and Ravelry. I highly recommend this pattern or any of Samantha Guerin’s desgins. She is most definitely the queen of the knitted t-shirt and so much more!

Springline Tee (Ravelry Project Page)
Pattern: Springline Tee by Samantha Guerin
Yarn: Knitting for Olive Pure Silk in “Poppy Blue”
Needles: Sizes US 3, 4 & 5 / 3.25, 3.5 & 3.75 mm

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