I just finished my very first paid knit! Do I still count as a “professional fibre artist” if the commission was for my aunt? We all start somewhere, right?
My aunt messaged me out of the blue one day with a screenshot from her Pinterest page – a woman wearing a loose-fitting, multicoloured cardigan. She asked if I could make it and offered to pay for the materials and labour.
Having been on a bit of a sweater kick this year, I took to the challenge and headed to the craft store to load up my basket with as many self-striping yarns as I could find – hoping that the colourful yarn would be a suitable alternative to buying roughly thrice as many full skeins of solid colours. I landed squarely in Caron Cakes territory, chosen for its colour variance and acrylic fibre content. My family, bless them, is terrified of wool so my aunt specifically asked for something easy to wash and care for.
Sorting the strands by colour family was extremely satisfying. However, my cat seemed determined that all this was for her. Sorry, Seabreeze!
The pattern itself was rather improvised, but I based it loosely on the Dotty Cardigan by All About Ami that I’d made for myself previously. The myriad colours and yarn compounds made for some glorious stitch definition on the back panel.
Another game-changing purchase for me was that of a dress form. It made a tremendous difference in the assembly since I didn’t have to use the floor or my own body to do it. Luckily my aunt and I are about the same size, but I prefer not to be on the pointy end of a pin. Then my husband put his DIY Master Chief helmet on the dress form, resulting in this hilarious image that both defines our marriage and creates a startling silhouette in the corner of your eye.
My knitting skills continue to evolve and I’m extremely proud of the result. But it’ll be a long time before I make another complicated stripey knit!
One thought on “Finished Object: Striped Cardigan”