Fiber Arts Friday: Summer Cardigan, part 1

I had been thinking about this project for some time.  I love the simpleness and subtle feminine feel of this design.

I also liked the idea of working this in cotton as the pattern calls for.  However I did not want a 100% cotton yarn, which can be tiring to work with since it does not have much give... and a 100% cotton will sag if the garment is too heavy.

I found the perfect yarn at Yarn Fest earlier this year and bought 3 skeins.

The yarn is a Merino + Pima Cotton blend, all grown and milled in California.  This is a natural (un-dyed) yarn with loads of character.

I have done very little crochet in recent years and have done even less to a written pattern that needs to be a specific size when finished.  So this entire project is an experiment for me.

The written instructions for the Floral Array in the top portion of the cardigan was confusing...  Specifically the Horizontal Petal.  I just did not understand what it was telling me to do.

So I bought a copy of the dictionary that the stitch pattern came from... which didn't help much, other than making it clear that the cardigan pattern was written correctly, and that my trouble was me.

I finally found this YouTube video, which is for a different but related stitch.  After watching it a few times, and going back to the schematic in the book, it finally started to make sense.

After a few more tries, I got the Horizontal Petal figured out and was then able to move forward relatively quickly.

It doesn't look too bad in this photo, but this pattern will benefit from blocking, which I will do before stitching the four panels together.

The nice thing about having a pattern that is constructed in sections is that I was able to work on the lower piece which is only double-crochet and practice consistent tension while I contemplated the Floral Array.

At the moment, the lower piece is about 30% complete and the Floral Panel is about 50% complete.  The two upper-front panels are not-started.

In weighing my progress and remaining yarn, my concern about not having enough yarn is growing, so I ordered a few more skeins in late July.  The pattern calls for 880 yards for the size I am making and I have 900 yards.

So, if we assume that I am crocheting at the same tension as the author and that each of my skeins are exact in their measurement... this is going to be very close.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!