Silk Featherweight Cardigan


I bet you are wondering why I haven't mentioned my featherweight being done and showing it off. The first two photos show the sweater completed before blocking and shaping.  I was quite pleased with how it turned out.  Very very pleased.


Then I blocked it. I soaked it and wished I would gain an inch in length.  Well-I gained many inches!!  Silk has little to no memory and it just stretched long.  So I did get my length but in the process I lost my width of the button band!  I also did a stretchy bind off (do not do this on a button band) so it was wavy and quite ugly.


I undid the bind off and knit another 2+ inches with a smaller needle size and bound off the regular way. I just finished today and ran upstairs to steam block the button band.

I am so happy now!!  I am happy that I slept on what I wanted to achieve and how I was going to do it.  Now I can wear it without being grumpy :)  I am also happy that I have ravelry friends who helped give advice on silk handling-steam blocking seems to be the way to work with silk.


In case you are wondering, I believe this will be my only silk sweater, it caused too much stress!!

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 23, 2012 at 4:57 PM

    It really is gorgeous!!

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  2. little macaroon.July 23, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    Phew! It's truly beautiful, and well done for persevering. I know for certain that I would have bitterly resented my error and notched yet another project down to experience without ever trying to correct it. So pleased your story has a happy ending!

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  3. millefeuillesJuly 23, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    Yay!!! You finished it! Well done indeed to persevering as little macaroon said. And well done to Ravelry for providing us with the helpful, generous community we all need when in a knitting fix.

    Your featherweight is beautiful indeed. On the subject of silk yarns I am fairly smitten with Juno yarns, Pearl especially and I am intending to use their lace weight to knit up this pattern. However I would agree, in my humble experience, that silk is pretty stressful to knit with. I find it quite unforgiving when partially frogging as it tends to split.

    Ho hum.

    Have a beautiful week. What's next on the needles?

    ps Thank you so much for your encouraging comment about my hares and my nascent shop. I really appreciated it.

    Stephanie

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  4. Tracey ~ CloverJuly 23, 2012 at 6:14 PM

    Karen, reguardless of all the problems it is a stunning sweater and I can only imagine how soft it feels. It really does look quite beautiful on you and I hope you enjoy wearing it.

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  5. Kim July 23, 2012 at 6:57 PM

    Wow, it is beautiful and looks lovely on you.

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  6. Melissa ~ twoknitwitJuly 23, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    fantastic fix, Karen!! totally worth the trouble of ripping and redoing ~ it looks so much better now ~ it's perfect!

    I've only used silk once and looked for blocking tips prior to blocking ~ ended up dry-pinning to dimensions I wanted to achieve and then spraying distilled h20 (I heard any chemicals in the water can mess with the way silk holds color, also) til completely soaked and letting dry

    worked perfectly! your sweater is great! Melissa

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  7. embracingitallJuly 23, 2012 at 7:02 PM

    So glad you have it finished! It looks gorgeous and it must feel lovely when worn. Jacinta

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  8. Melanie RouthierJuly 23, 2012 at 7:23 PM

    Gorgeous! Even with all the stress it caused you. :)

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  9. ~koJuly 23, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Oh my! This is stunning! Beautiful job!

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  10. meghannJuly 23, 2012 at 9:13 PM

    Oh my goodness, Karen - that sweater is just beautiful! xo

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  11. stephJuly 23, 2012 at 11:08 PM

    Oh, Karen!!! It's gorgeous!!! I have one on the needles now......I can only cross my fingers that mine turns out even half as nice (I'm doing mine in a wool/silk blend----I'm taking notes!!!!!)

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  12. RonnieJuly 24, 2012 at 1:21 AM

    Wow Karen, that is a stunner. I am in awe.
    Ronnie xo

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  13. CorrabelleJuly 24, 2012 at 3:12 AM

    Eeek...that does sound stressful. But it looks absolutely lovely!

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  14. DebbyJuly 24, 2012 at 6:19 AM

    It was definitely worth all the stress it looks gorgeous. Very pretty.
    Deb

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  15. TannaJuly 24, 2012 at 7:08 AM

    It is beautiful!! Thanks for the info on the silk. I know you are going to love wearing this one. blessings ~ tanna

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  16. PaulaJuly 24, 2012 at 8:27 AM

    It looks like it would feel soooooo nice on. In spite of the stress of making it really very lovely!

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  17. UnknownJuly 24, 2012 at 9:13 AM

    Gorgeous. I am so glad you were able to fix it to your liking. I must remember that about silk

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  18. RosemaryJuly 24, 2012 at 9:33 AM

    It may have been stressful, but the final result is stunning! Gorgeous!

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  19. Mama Gone GreenJuly 24, 2012 at 10:50 AM

    gorgeous!!!

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  20. Lady CordeliaJuly 24, 2012 at 12:20 PM

    wow. wow. wow. wow.
    BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  21. nunuJuly 24, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    thumbs up karen! well done!

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  22. *kateJuly 24, 2012 at 2:00 PM

    My goodness, it is gorgeous! Beautiful work.

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  23. amanda {the habit of being}July 24, 2012 at 4:31 PM

    sooooo pretty!

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  24. KristenJuly 24, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    Karen....this is just beautiful! Oh, I am so jealous of the way you knit and how awesome your finished projects look on you :) Glad you figured out how to fix it and make it just the way you wanted it. Have a great week!

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  25. HeatherJuly 25, 2012 at 7:02 AM

    It is beautiful, even if it was stressful! At least you know you will enjoy it because it took so much work!

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  26. EmilyJuly 25, 2012 at 7:54 AM

    Oh it is beautiful!!

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  27. HannahJuly 25, 2012 at 8:00 AM

    It's lovely - I admire your perseverance!

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  28. AlisaJuly 25, 2012 at 8:34 AM

    this is amazingly beautiful.....the colors the fit....it looks perfect on you! You should be very proud!!!

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  29. The Knitty Gritty HomesteadJuly 25, 2012 at 8:58 AM

    It is GORGEOUS, and I hope worth the work, stress, and trouble. One of a kind! Fits beautifully and the colours are wonderful.

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  30. simonaJuly 25, 2012 at 9:49 AM

    oh, wow, this is a one-of-a-kind piece! wonderful!

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  31. AnkeJuly 25, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    Don't give up on knitting sweaters! For every one that caused me grief, I also learned some valuable lessons. Whatever stress you had with the cardi, it was worth it - it's beautiful!

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  32. AnonymousJuly 25, 2012 at 4:19 PM

    Oh, it looks like it was worth the stress - absolutely gorgoeous!

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  33. UnknownJuly 25, 2012 at 4:38 PM

    It looks lovely, what a great colour!

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  34. AnonymousJuly 25, 2012 at 11:15 PM

    g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s!!

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  35. Angela at Knit LuckJuly 26, 2012 at 1:29 AM

    That is expletively gorgeous.

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  36. MisteaJuly 26, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    Congratulations on saving your work - It really is beautiful.

    Enjoy wearing this one.

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  37. Erin @ Wild WhispersJuly 26, 2012 at 10:43 AM

    I LOVE IT! You did beautiful work, my friend. It's stunning. Wear it with pride!

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  38. AnonymousJuly 28, 2012 at 12:40 AM

    Wow-absolutely beautiful! Love the colors and I'm glad it turned out in the end!

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