Sunday, August 16, 2009

Wrap cardigan

I have a bad habit of leaving things too long and then I don't know where to begin. This is nowhere more pronounced than in keeping in touch with friends. I think "Oh I'll call/write/IM tomorrow" or whatever and then I don't and then by the time it's really gone too long I don't know where to begin. That's where I'm at now with this blog. I keep thinking "Oh I'll post this tomorrow" but then tomorrow turns out busier or greyer or whatever and I don't post. Then weeks go by, I have unposted projects that I would really love to share with you all and I can't figure out where to begin.

So I'll just show you what I did yesterday and we'll start from there. How's that?

I keep seeing these wrap cardigans which are basically a large rectangle with sleeves. I love the way they look, so cozy and so simple. I've wanted to knit one for a while but I knew I would end up petering out on it before I finished. That's just the way things are right now (the gasps of shock are noted but come on, who are we kidding?).

Friday evening I went to see Julie & Julia with my friend Julie (who did not get in for free despite having her name in the title. What is with THAT?) (also: have you seen it? I LOVED it! and I was so hungry after. And I want to find Julia Child's book. And I want to cook in France)... Where was I? Oh yeah. At the movie I saw a woman wearing this beautiful wrap cardigan like the ones I've been contemplating only hers was in a jersey knit fabric. My brain filed that image away until I was trying to sleep Friday night. So when I woke up Saturday I decided to wing it and make one out of a t-shirt sheet I had from a couple of summers ago when I made some shirts out of the set.

(this blog post is not being very well written. I apologize. If I had a red pen I would be marking it up for a re-do but it's been so long since i posted I'm going to just power through.)(and no more parentheticals. i hope).

Okay. So I consulted a few knit patterns for wrap cardigans to figure out measurements, did some futzing about with it and ended up just cutting.

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In the pictures it looks kind of sloppy but I think it's not so bad in real life.

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(My camera thinks my hair is red. It's not)

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The only sewing was the sleeve seams and attaching the sleeves to the holes. I cut arm holes about 8 1/2" each side of the center mark and just sewed my sleeve tubes into them. I'm not 100% happy with this part but considering the complete lack of pattern drafting skills, and also the wing-it way I went about the process I'm pretty sure it turned out all right.

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The sheet I used was a light green but I wanted something that would go with more of my wardrobe (who am I kidding: my t-shirts) so I dyed it black. It turned out a dark grey and I'm pretty happy with that. The edges are left unfinished since the jersey knit just rolls.

And... in case anyone wants to try it for themselves, here are the dimensions for what I did...
Wrap Cardi

3 comments:

  1. very cool. Loved the post...parentheticals and all!

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  2. That's brilliant. I love those wrap cardigans too, and I know, for a fact, that I do not have the willpower to actually knit one for myself...but sew one? That, I think I could do.

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  3. I love the wrap. I am bookmarking this for another day. It looks like something from Uniform Studio! Especially the dye. You're a genius! And while I am not guilty of over-using parantheses, I do use a ridiculous amount of exclamation points.
    -Nadine

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