Ruby Tuesday Cardigan

An essential addition to my summer wardrobe: a navy cardigan.

This photo looks like Royal Blue, but I had to photograph it in full sunlight to show up the detail. It is actually navy.

This make has been semi-finished for so long now that I am so grateful it is finally done! I cast on last Summer, and got most of it done. Got sidetracked by child's birthday making, so used the yarn for a doll hat and scarf. Then wanted a winter jumper in time for winter. Then took a break from knitting to rest my weary wrist and started to crochet instead. But enough was enough and spring was springing so I got on with it, finished the second sleeve and sewed on the buttons. Done!

The pattern is called Ruby Tuesday. It is a really nice little pattern, knitted all in one piece, from the top down. The eyelet increases in the yoke give a nice definition and a good shape to a really simple garment. I've linked to it from my Ravelry notes.

It only comes in one size, a 34, so I followed the instructions and made that. Because I only added buttons in the yoke section, it has come out appearing a little small. For a cardigan with negative ease,  such as this one, I would do better to include buttonholes all the way to the bottom and stabilise the button bands with grosgrain ribbon. These are stabilised in the button section only.

The yarn is Sirdar Country Style, a 4 ply yarn in a wool/acrylic blend. I really like it. My favourite cardigan is also a Sirdar wool/acrylic and I am a big fan. The acrylic gives it better shape and easy wash and wear, while the wool makes it warmer and generally nicer. The amount I needed was astonishingly small: only 2 skeins for the whole cardigan. I had bought 8, so I have plenty left over for other projects. A pullover for me, or cardigans for the girls would be nice.

One of the reasons I was so long in finishing this was because I bought 3 buttons for it when on holiday in Italy. I had the yarn with me, I went into a tiny little shop in Orvieto and selected 3 buttons with a rope-like motif on them. Seven months later, when I wanted them, could I find them? No, I could not. I held off getting more buttons, because a) they were perfect, and b) I knew they would turn up the second I got a replacement set. Eventually, I really wanted to start wearing the thing so I dutifully trotted off to John Lewis and got 3 new buttons. Not quite as nice, but they were navy and they would do. Sewed them on and BAM! Found the old buttons. Bother! Feeling lazy, I sewed up the buttonholes a little smaller and called it done. Now I have 3 navy buttons in my stash.

Costs:

Yarn: £4.80

Buttons: £1.50

Total: £6.30