Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The Nevis Cardigan is finally finished............


I can't believe I have a finished project.  It seems like it has been a while since I have got anything accomplished at home, at work and on the needles.  I would like to introduce you to the Nevis Cardigan by Stephanie Japel.   Finished on the very last day of August.  Can you believe it is September already?


Made with Berroco Folio yarn, approximately 840 yards, with size 7 needles.  I made the medium size or for the 33 bust circumference.  You see my bust is not all that big but my shoulders are so I have to play around with the sizing a bit.  This stash yarn was perfect for this project.  The sweater fits very nicely, it is a little loose which is just what I was going for.  This aging body of mine does not appreciate anything tight, those days are long gone.


The increases are very easy, every six rows and are located at the front of the cardigan which adds a nice design element.  I really love this sweater, a nice sweater for beginners and all of us old time knitters as well.  It did get a bit boring and tedious towards the end, frankly I just wanted this to be done.  But I wanted a project that did not have me thinking too hard and that is exactly what this was.


Well I wasn't thinking too hard until I got to the sleeves.  I whipped out my size seven double pointed needles and got going.  The problem was mine entirely, I started on these after a migraine and well if you suffer from them you know how entirely fluffy your brain feels after one.  You really can't put a coherent thought together, so you can imagine how hard it is to get double pointed needles to behave.  I actually dropped two stitches, in two different places!  Really that is almost unheard of by me and in freaking garter stitch, not and easy thing to repair even on a good day.  I finally ripped the sleeve out after many pathetic attempts at correcting my mistake, and put the whole thing aside.  All I had left to do were those sleeves so I was not about to let the whole sweater go down in a cloud of disaster if I could help it.  Sure enough a good nights sleep did the trick and those sleeves literally popped off the needles in no time at all.  I have to add that I did make a slight little threat to those double pointed needles, if they did not behave they were going to be broken in two and thrown in the rubbish.  I think we both understood who was the boss after that. 


I really do love the finished sweater.  Funny how seeing it all complete makes me want to cast on another on right away.  I have to restrain myself and get working on that new little ripple baby blanket.  For those of you out there who are not so keen on the crochet ripple, well the crochet part of it anyway.  Ellen, from The Ellen Report, I am talking to you here, have you thought of making a blanket with the knitted version of this, the Feather and Fan pattern?  You can find this pattern about everywhere on Ravelry and online.  I gave it a good thought for a few minutes and decided a crochet ripple would be faster for me to make.  But I think the feather and fan would work too, and wouldn't it make a great scarf?  By the way those of you on Ravelry, you can find me over there as Mereknits, I know how original!


Just so you don't think life over here is all about knitting and yarn.  There has been lots of work, another migraine, and lots of mold and mildew cleaning outside, gosh my life is so exciting!  There has also been homework.  Even Little Buddy has had a project to do.  I admit I had to help a little, he is not quite as dexterous as the other kids in his classroom.  A little version of him.  I made some construction paper canes to go along with it as we are trying to get him to use them more at school.

Happy September, mid week, Wednesday and all that.

39 comments:

kathy b said...

Maybe we can encourage Lil Buddy to use his canes at school.....
I'll see what I can do!

I Love your knitting Meredith. The color and the pattern work perfectly.
I like the idea of steady easy increases in the same spot on a pattern.

Sorry about the migraine...r/t hurricane remnants perhaps?

Wishing you a cool drink and a clear head

Lynne said...

Hi Meredith! Your sweater is beautiful - I love the color!! The folio yarn is so soft I bet the sweater is dreamy to wear.
Thanks for the Little Buddy fix :)
Happy September!

mamasmercantile said...

Now that is a gorgeous cardigan, a beautiful pattern and a stunning colour. I love it. As always Little Buddy made me smile.

gaia said...

Dear Meredith,
The cardigan is gorgeous!

Betsy said...

Meredith that sweater is just gorgeous! I love it! I'm going to go over and see if I can find the pattern on ravelry and save it in my library. I'm also on ravelry as BetsyQ. I know. I'm very original too. Ha! I hope the migraines are over for you for a while and you get to enjoy the fall season.
Blessings always sweet friend,
Betsy

Una said...

I can see exactly how much work went into that long cardigan. Amazing achievement. I also find that I make mistakes when I'm tired and a good night's sleep can work wonders.

elns said...

Wow Mere, first off, how does one even knit with a Migraine and not ball up in the corner of dark room and cry like "a normal person"? Your sweater looks amazing and I'm glad that you find it wearable which is so so great. I can see why you'd want to cast on another. I love the color I hope it brings you much comfort and joy.

And you know, the Feather and Fan was my gateway pattern when I learned to knit, I should show it some more appreciation. Geez, I never considered it for a blanket, though I do love it for big shawls. Hmm ... You are a good egg. Thanks for the acknowledgement and thoughtfulness as always.

Bridget said...

The sweater is lovely - I may have to try that pattern!

And I love Little Buddy's mini-me - I'll bet he thinks it's a lot of fun.

As a fellow migraine sufferer, I can relate to what you are saying. They are really the worst. I'm glad you are feeling better now.

Teresa Kasner said...

I love your sweater, I'm so glad you got those DPNs to behave! The color is just raspberry yumminess.. num num! Looks like LB is a budding artist! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

ellen said...

Double happy "and all that" to you.
Your sweater really is lovely. I'd like to knit one like that, but me and double pointed needles have have what you would call an unhealthy relationship. And...they cause me to swear more than ever.
Those migraines need to go right now.
Thanks for sharing a pic. of Little Buddy. He's full of magic.
xoxo, Ellen.

CJ said...

What a lovely cardigan, beautifully shaped. When people say things are boring to knit my ears prick up - that's my kind of knitting. Sorry you've had another migraine, I hope you're all better now. So sweet to see your Little Buddy with his own homework project, he's making an excellent job of it. Wishing you a good week Meredith. CJ xx

Amy at love made my home said...

Your new cardigan is gorgeous!!!! I love the swingyness of it. Good on you for telling the dpns who is in charge, they need to know! Love Buddy's little boy, you can tell straight away that it is him! xx

Between Me and You said...

Yaaaay - you showed up in my bloglist!! I'm so happy and so should you be with that beautiful cardigan. I especially love the colour. Well done you, even through a migraine you come out tops, Meredith. Charming pic of the little one doing his crafting too. xxx

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Mere that sweater is gorgeous. I love the color and short sleeves. I would wear that thing to shreds! Glad you are hanging in there and I can't believe it's September!
hugs,
Linda

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

You are an AMAZING mom and that's all there is to it :)

Anonymous said...

That color is going to look great on you! Congrats on the beautiful finish.

Mrs. Micawber said...

Beautiful cardigan, and so glad you managed to show those DPNs who's boss. So sorry to hear about the migraines - I totally get the fluffy brain thing.

My sister knitted a Feather-and-Fan scarf from some lovely colour-changing yarn (I think it was Cascade Casablanca) - it turned out very pretty.

Happy September to you, Mere! :)

Judy S. said...

Awesome sweater, Mere, and a wonderful color! Love the photo of LB concentrating.

susanne said...

Love the sweater, it is so pretty. I don't know if I would have the patience to do a project that big. I use DP needles a lot with my hats I make. Those in your pick look like the bamboo ones. I have a couple sets of them, also a circular needle. I like using them. I have only had a migraine headache twice in my life and that was 2 times too many. Even the light blinds you and all you want to do is stay in a dark, quiet place and be left alone till it passes. I hope you are doing better now.
Susanne :)

Christina said...

This is a beautiful cardigan Meredith. I think it would suit me, too. Adding it to my Revelry queue!
Have a lovely rest of the week, hopefully migraine free. xx

Jo@awholeplotoflove said...

Love the cardigan & the colour I like a boring knit it means I should be able to finish it! I am thrilled it is now September & I'm so sorry you've been suffering from migraines its not something I'm affected by so could only imagine the pain. Little Buddy looks like he's trying to make a super job of his homework. Hope you have a brighter week xx

Joyful said...

Loving the beautiful colour and shape of your new sweater. xx

Gillian said...

I love your new cardigan. The shape is great and such a beautiful colour. I also get migraines so I know you must have had a hard time trying to make the double pointed needles behave. I've used the knitted feather and fan pattern for baby blankets and also scarves. It is easy to knit and produces a lovely result. Little Buddy is getting on well with his project.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Such a pretty sweater. Those sleeves look tricky to me with that gadget you are working with. :) Knitting is beyond me. Hope you don't have anymore migraines.

Anonymous said...

Oh my I do love that sweater! I also love the color you chose... hmmm, I think I might need to fly down there and shop in your stash! LOL! Don't you just hate mold... it just keeps coming back, grrrr. Sorry to hear about the migraines they really stink. My brain always feels fluffy so I don't know if a post-migraine would make me notice any difference, lol!

Hugs to you and little Buddy :D

P.S. you revamped your blog and it looks just awesome! I like the clam shell gray background... very sophisticated looking! :D

busybusybeejay said...

The cardigan is lovely.Great colour too.It is funny reading your blog when you say "Mold".I live in a place called Mold and here in the UK Your Mold is spelt mould!!!Barbarax

moonstruckcreations said...

Wow your cardigan is amazing! I am trying to get back into knitting again, so far so good...

LB looks really engrossed in his project, bless him.

Helenxx

Suzan said...

Very, very nice cardigan!! Loving your pink!!

Chris said...

I love love love your new cardi! I've worked with Folio and it is such a nice soft airy yarn and that colour! You will get lots of wear with that style. Good for you for showing the dps who's boss! I use two circs now instead if dps for sleeves and some hats and socks. It's easy and you don't lose stitches off the ends of your needle. Hope your headaches subside , that's just plain nasty. Love Lil Buddy and his mini me- such a cutie! Have a great weekend!!

Gracie Saylor said...

You are a force to be reckoned with, and your needles know it, Mere :) I really love the luscious color and elegant style of your new sweater and can imagine you look terrific in it. So glad you and Little Buddy are feeling well and that you are able to be so industrious! xx

Unknown said...

Bless little Buddy he is such a sweetheart looks like hes enjoying his project crayons are so soft to use my boys used to love them when they were little. I love your cardigan the colour is gorgeous and so warm well done you no wonder you want to start another one :-) Sorry i haven't stopped by a while its been a busy summer I have started up a new blog its where I am now in my life its more gentle now be lovely to see you there. Best wishes, dee x

Unknown said...

Wow, that cardigan turned out great! Love the color you chose, and I'm sure it fits you perfectly! I know too well about migraines, awful things they are, you can't focus on anything except the pain - my eyes get very sensitive to light too when I happen to have one, so yeah, basically they suck, pardon my French...

Caffeine Girl said...

So sorry about the migraines. They are the worst.
I adore that cardigan, and I don't usually like longish sweaters. I should really queue it. I still haven't knit a successful sweater! I think the fear of even starting has become the biggest problem.
Coloring inside the lines is highly over-rated. LB is simply more creatve than the other kids!

handmade by amalia said...

Hope you're feeling well, Meredith. What a beautiful cardigan and the color is lovely.
Amalia
xo

kristieinbc said...

Your new sweater is so pretty, Meredith! And it looks like the perfect weight for your Florida weather.

Jill at emeraldcottage said...

Gorgeous cardigan, I love the colour. Can't believe how fast you knit!
Sorry about the migraine, I've been suffering too, had a bad one last week but then the migraine hangover has niggled all week. Very tedious.
Stay well my dear Meredith,
Jillxxx

Kris said...

Hi Mer. So glad you and sis had a grand time together. And so relieved that LB is okay!!! What a scare. Kids can get so sick, so fast. Then better again, just as quickly.
I love the new blog look! Always fun to freshen things up a bit.
Are you anywhere ear Navarre? Spelling?? My cousin lives there.
XO Kris

Pradeepa said...

I love your sweater and the colour too! I see that I have missed lot of your posts. Have a nice weekend.

linda said...

Hi Meredith trying to catch up after my holidays, I love your sweater it's beautiful, thank you for linking to the stash link up. :) xx