I've finished knitting the sleeves of my Fernwood Cardigan for our knit-along! I tend to knit more tightly in the round so I decided to switch to a larger needle to work the sleeves and I'm really happy with the fit and length (I worked the body on a 10mm and the sleeves on a size 12mm).  I've uploaded a video on how to resume knitting the sleeves and pick up along the underarm without creating big holes at each end. This is also a great visual tool if you've never worked a garment from the top down before and need help visualizing how to transition b ..read more

  I've finished knitting the buttonband of my Fernwood Cardigan for our knit-along. The pattern is written with specific stitch counts for each section so that the rate is consistent from right to left for a perfectly mirrored buttonband that lays nice and flat. I like to divide these larger sections into smaller quarters so that it's really easy to hit my target stitches for each section and make the picked up stitches nice and even. The result is worth the extra step of placing these markers. I've made a video tutorial outlining the process — it's also a great visual aid if you've ..read more

I've finished the body of my Fernwood Cardigan! The photo above is from a quick try-on before beginning the hem ribbing. My length met the pattern specifications at this point without having to add any additional rows and I was happy with where this length fell on my body.    The above photo is of my finished length after the ribbed hem was completed. If you look closely you can spot the orange markers from my previous post where the hip increases were placed. The pattern doesn't call for these markers to be placed, I've placed them here as a visual ..read more

I reached the hip shaping on my Fernwood Cardigan. Although my stitch gauge matches the pattern exactly, my row gauge is just the slightest bit off (12.5 rows over 4 inches instead of 12). To this point my lengths have matched those in the pattern, both at the yoke depth and v-neck depth. However my row gauge has finally caught up to me and I'm just under an inch short to begin my hip increases. I've tried the cardigan on and it's resting at my natural waist. The hip increases should be placed below the waist line so I'll need to work an addition ..read more

  I've made it to the final neck increase row on my Fernwood Cardigan. Again, my length measurements are bang on even with this substitute yarn held multi-stranded. The final increase row of the deep v calls for markers to be placed at the neckline edge, I've posted a photo below of a close up of this marker placement.      Are you knitting along? I'd love to see your progress! Participate by using the hashtage #fernwoodKAL on Ravelry, Instagram, Facebook, or comment below! Find all of the knit-along posts here.  ..read more

    In my last post I shared some of the yarns I'd sampled for my next Fernwood Cardigan I plan to cast on for our knit-along. The swatches I made each combined two different yarns to create a unique and interesting fabric and also achieve the super bulky gauge required.   Now that I've landed on my dream combo, I've had to do a few calculations to determine how much yarn I'll need of each to knit my sweater. I've shared my spreadsheet below so that you may enter your own numbers to help guide you with yardage requirements when making substitutions.  The tools ar ..read more

The Fernwood Cardigan was designed with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn however I knew that my next cast-on would be made from luxury yarn from my local yarn store. I came home with a bag full of yarn, all in similar colours to the original sample knit in Fisherman.  All of the yarn that I purchased was intended to be held doubled, to mix and match in search of the most perfect, well defined, light as air fabric. Below are the combinations I tried.     Recommended Combinations Drops Yarn Air + Drops Yarn Wish Needle / 10mm Gauge ..read more

  Friends, I've been waiting a very long time to share this pattern with you. According to Instagram it's been exactly two years in the making!! Many swatches, prototypes, and pattern revisions later, I'd like to finally introduce you to my newest pattern, the Fernwood Cardigan.      One of my favourite design elements is the deep v-neckline. Finished with 1x1 ribbing and subtle shaping, it looks fantastic worn open or buttoned up. The fit of the cardigan is comfortably oversized and the large patch pockets add to the cozy casual vibes of this eve ..read more

  I needed a travel project last summer and chose the Outline Tank by Jessie Maed Designs. After scrolling through projects I was completely inspired by this oversized version by aro.knits.n.purls and this lengthened version by rachelknitsthings. While yarn shopping I kept these two projects in mind and landed on some heavenly Tynn Line; a cotton, viscose, linen blend from Sandnes Garn. The Beehive Wool Shop had a sample made from the yarn and the drape and feel of the fabric was so incredible, I had to have it! In addition to t ..read more

  My wardrobe staple has forever been jeans but once I'd made my first pair of elastic waist pants, I was hooked. It started with a pair of Arenite Pants, and quickly grew to a second and third pair, then a pair of Clyde Work Pants for a different perspective, and most recently, the Fremantle Pants.  Wanting the same comfort for summer I made a few pairs of Arenite shorts as well and they've served me well. However anyone whose cropped a pair of well worn jeans into cutoffs knows - just shortening pants doesn't always translate ..read more