This was one of those knits that I kept putting down, frogging or making tiny mistakes on, and took forever to finish but is now one of my most worn sweaters! I learned so many technical skills making this cardigan and gained confidence in my knitting skills. The perseverance to keep going after making mistakes taught me that it’s worth it to go back and fix things! I knew that if I didn’t, then it would bother me and I might be less likely to wear it.
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The Pattern
The pattern is the Seasons Cardigan by Ozetta and is a raglan style cardigan knit from the top down in half fisherman’s rib stitch which is easier to knit than it looks! The tricky part comes if you need to undo some rows since it’s a little different to get the stitches put back on the needle vs. a regular rib stitch. There are video links included in the pattern that show how to knit the half fisherman’s rib as well as other helpful videos for specific steps in the pattern.
Overall, the instructions are clear and easy to follow (like all of Ozetta’s pattern that I have made!) but it is helpful to know beforehand that when knitting half fisherman’s rib, the rows are doubled because you are knitting into the row below. So when it looks like 12 rows, it’s actually 24.
It’s pretty straightforward on the body since it’s worked flat, but on the sleeves you need to make sure you are counting the rounds correctly in order for your decreases to land on the right round. The way I kept track of my rounds was I counted the knit rounds vs. the purl rounds and decreases are made on a knit round. This may only make sense when you’re actually knitting this part, but I thought it helpful to know what I struggled with!
I also want to note that it’s important to keep track of your raglan increases really well or else the rib pattern will be off once you get to the body. I learned this the hard way…more than once, ha! The first time around I forgot an increase or two and my half fisherman’s rib pattern was off when I joined for the body and I ripped it back and started again. That was with the first color I started with, and then it happened again when I had switched to the white…Mistakes are how we learn though, right?
Modifications
I knit the whole body at a size S with no mods, but after working one sleeve, it ended up way too long for me. I took it out and then knit the sleeve with my decreases closer together – on every 8th round (instead of 11 like the pattern states for a size S).
Yarn
I first stared this cardigan in a different color but switched to this creamy white – and I’m so glad I did! It’s Knit Picks Simply Wool Worsted in the color Wendy – a subtle off-white with a slight pale gray undertone that goes with everything. It’s soft and really not that scratchy, softens up even more after blocking and is super squishy, especially knit in Half Fishermans Rib. I’ve also used this yarn before for my granny square vest, aka the Agnes Sweater Vest.
Making this cardigan really taught me a lot and boosted my confidence as a knitter. I learned to be patience because good things really do take time! And my favorite thing after it all has been wearing it with all my other handmade clothes – it’s become a great closet staple!
Hope my notes have helped or has given you inspiration to make your own Seasons Cardigan! Thanks for reading and happy knitting!
