Patterns available on Ravelry
Accessories available on Etsy

I’m back from my travels and have completed another step in the finishing phase of cardigan #1: picking up and knitting a front button band. Here are a couple of photos of how the garment’s progressing.

The threads are place markers for the buttons and will also be used as guides for buttonhole spacing on the front buttonhole band.

I’m pleased with how this turned out, as it’s not as straightforward as doing shoulder seaming. There are not the same number of rows as stitches to be picked up, so some planning is required.

Here’s a link to an expert’s advice on how to pick up and knit stitches from a vertical edge – such as the front of a cardigan:

http://www.arendaholladay.com/2013/07/picking-up-stitches-on-vertical-edge.html
You’ll find a helpful video link on this page as well.

Did you know…?
In Scandinavian knitting, needle sizes include full and half-sizes only, such as 3.0mm, 3.5mm, 4.0mm, 4.5mm, etc. There are no .25 or .75 sizes available (such as 2.75mm, 3.25mm, etc). I found this to be true in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden at the yarn shops I visited and from the owners of the shops.

Here are a few more shots of yarn shops, signs, and windows in Sweden and Norway.

That’s it for this week – time to get back to the cardigan.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

Patterns available on Ravelry
Accessories available on Etsy

I had to stop at this shop in Oslo for some knitting supplies for a Master Hand Knitting Level 2 project – a man’s vest in a light-colored medium weight wool.

I’m on a week-long trip to Scandinavia to escape the heat and rain in Thailand and to visit a part of the world that I haven’t been to before.

Yesterday was Copenhagen, today Oslo, tomorrow northern Norway, then Bergen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and then back home.

I’ll be finishing my work on cardigan no.1 when I return next week!

Happy Knitting
MikeH

Patterns available on Ravelry
Accessories available on Etsy

Assembly required for the first cardigan jacket!

As you can see the basics are completed and I’ve started on the finishing aspect. The shoulders are seamed, the pockets attached to the inside of the fronts, and the stitches picked up and knit for the pocket bands.

 Shoulder seam

  Pocket band

Next (and I’m working on it now) is the collar, which is 5 inches/12 cm of k1p1 ribbing. Then picking up and knitting the front bands (and the dreaded buttonholes), setting in the sleeves, and seaming the sleeves and sides.

It almost seems like finishing takes longer than knitting the cardigan itself – and with procrastination, that’s probably true.

A couple of points that I thought I’d mention and that might come in useful if you’re planning to knit your first seamed cardigan:

1. Shoulder seams: Here’s a useful technique for seaming a shoulder invisibly in stockinette stitch

Tuesday Tip: Seaming Knitted Shoulders

2. Picking up stitches for pocket band: Picking up stitches vertically is a bit different. I  found this post to be useful
http://www.arendaholladay.com/2013/07/picking-up-stitches-on-vertical-edge.html

I’m heading to Scandinavia this weekend for a holiday and to escape the heat and rain of Thailand! I’ll also be on the lookout for anything of knitting interest, and will share whatever I find with you here.

Happy knitting!
MikeH