The Dutch Baby Project – First Installment – Sunnyside Cardigan

Gentle reader,

This post comes a little late, I’ll grant you, however, I have stuck to the previously outlined parameters and the first installment of The Dutch Baby Project was given to The Dutch Boss (who actually requested I refer to her as Cruella DeVille for reputation’s sake, but truly she’s a doll) on April 1st, fully completed, soaked, blocked and with buttons and all!

I’m so pleased with this darling little cardigan; won’t you let me tell you all about it?

The Pattern

The pattern was no trouble at all. It has every reason for me to recommend it to you. It’s clear and well presented, includes options for either cabled or lace details, and either garter or picot hems. And most of all, it’s free!

It’s also dead easy, but if you’re a beginner, let me offer you this caveat. While this pattern is very clear and well written, at certain points, it doesn’t hold your hand as some other patterns might. For example, when knitting the collar it asks you to increase a certain number of times, but it doesn’t tell where to place these increases, just that they should be evenly spaced.

I actually ripped it back once because I wasn’t happy with where I’d placed my increases. Honestly, it would have looked exactly the same had I kept going, but I would have known it wasn’t just so, and it would have bugged me to distraction. If you’re but a wee baby knitter on wobbly little deer legs, my advice would be to consider these first before you start, and read ahead to the first button hole and start knitting with it all planned out so you’re not having yarn overs and decreases and increases happening all at once, because that’s a malarkey and it may or may not have happened to me.

It calls for five buttons, and I did have a bit of a panic near the end. I couldn’t find any buttons that were the right size or color and my deadline was fast approaching and I was home sick so couldn’t go buy any. I didn’t want to gift a button-down cardigan with no buttons and fail on my first DBP project! Finally, I found a Ziploc baggy right at the bottom of my button box, and inside was a little tupperware container full of the cutest fabric-covered vintage buttons that I’d picked up along the way, and they were a perfect color match and perfect size for the buttonholes – firm, but not tedious. Winner winner chicken dinner!

I didn’t knit the lace option obviously, but the cables were easy as pie, and if you’ve never done cables before this could be a fun way to start. They’re not too broad and unwieldy, and they’re spaced out enough that you won’t get cable-fatigue. You’ll repeat them over and over though, so you’ll be a pro by the end.

All in all, it’s a fantastic pattern, and I can see myself knitting a few more, perhaps even trying to adapt an adult version.

The Yarn

The yarn was especially lovely, not too wispy, but still very soft. I noticed a lot of weight variation as I worked it, but once knitted, it’s not super noticeable, but gives the stitches a lovely character.

No dye came off on my hands while knitting, nor did it stain my needles or project bag, but it did bleed a LOT when soaking. I didn’t have any vinegar handy, unfortunately, otherwise I would have given it a vinegar soak to try and lock it in a bit more. I suspect it’ll stop bleeding after a wash or two.

I still have a reasonable size wad left, so perhaps I’ll think of something to do with that.

And now, on to the next installment! I know it’s already April 5th, and although I haven’t started knitting, I have selected a pattern, and I have a fair idea of what yarn I’m going to use. I’ll lock that down tonight, and write a reveal post.

That’s all from me for today, friends!

Did any of you knit along? Is this a pattern you might like to try?

 

 

 

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