I am going to knit my first adult cardigan

[Fillyjonk]

I have 1600 yards, or possibly metres, or rowan calmer in purple

It needs to be flattering. I have had 3 babies in 4 years. No frigging boxes please.

Also it needs to be fun and interesting to knit.

I can do pretty much everything, I think. I have made lots of kids jumpers/cardigans, so I know the basics, but never befire have i had the yarn or pateience for a big project.

Ok, so thoughts?

I hate to say it, but have you looked on ravelry? You can search on Calmer and then select all cardigans made from it, and that way you get to see them on real people.

As an aside, I assumed you were still pregnant- has number 3 been born???

lol, dd2 is 3 weeks old, lying on lap as I type...

have looked on ravelry, but I dunno, not getting inspired...

was thinking of rogue in cardigan form atm

but also either eris or

www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTarisaig.html ariasaig]] (her patterns are good, ime)

I am not sure what is FUN to knit for such a long time, iykwim?

arisaig

Calmer is a DK weight, or close to, isn't it? if you want cables, then how about BPT bpt although it is a bit boxy. CPH also springs to mind.
Arisaig is very pretty, but you'd need to do a bit of converting to allow for different yarn weight. Maybe adapt one of the wrap cardigans in the latest Rowan - Ether is close? rowan 43 - I've got this if you wanted a pattern. The granny square tank top is especially flattering...
I'm knitting this: ariann which has the advantage of being all in one, which I have found motivating (this will be my first cardigan since I was 17 and knit a fluffy mohair jumper). But it is not DK weight.
and more food for thought, i thought this adaption of hourglass was very flattering: here.

arisaig is lovely! and ysolda is a fantastic name.

have you considered crochet [coughing into hand and looking the other way]

oooh lots of interesting stuff

yes, I COULD crochet... actually the problem is that ime crocheting results in boxy stuff, which can look very cute on kids but not on a 30 yo mother of 3

calmer is funny stuff, actually, ime, prob closet to dk, agree, but am expecting to have to do some adjusting of pattern anyway for my measurments...

the ariann looks esp interesting, thank you.

I know not why I looked at this thread - it was a completely random opening and I haven't knitted sicne I was 12. But feel like getting the needles out now after looking at some of those.

Would I be mad to start with that arisaig one? How long would it take an accomplished knitter?

You can manage to crochet a cardi without it looking boxy, it's just a case of shaping, so you would put extra decreases either side of the neck, which would pull the fabric in. Rather like putting darts in when sewing.
Anyway, I digress, there is a pattern in the simply knitting mag, this month, that may fit the bill, or have you looked on interweave knits? They have a whole gallery of cardigans all modelled on different shaped women and you can buy a download of the pattern online.

interweaveknits you have to trawl the site a bit to find the downloads but they are there.

i am just obsessed with crochet atm. the loop-d-loop book has some lovely looking cardies. and my friend came round in a gorgeous crocheted cardie the other day.

SG, I agree with you, I knit too but crochet is my first love. The lily chin couture crochet workshop is a very good book.

Peaches, you might need a bit of help, if only because you need to know how to do, eg. a yo and ssk for the lace. You also might want some help in working out how to do some shaping and keep the lace pattern going. Having said that, it is not a very complicated lace pattern and i think lace is actually more fun to knit than, say, miles of moss or rib stitch. The pattern, being a wrap would also be forgiving of fit. do a little test square first, and see if you can replicate the pattern. Also it is knit in a fairly fine wool on small needles so it would take a while.

This sort of thing is knit at a slightly thicker wool cece and might be a bit more straightforward as a beginning lace knit.

No idea what a yo and ssk is.

Momentary burst of enthusiasm there! Will get back to the beginners class now instead of bursting into to Knitters Stage 5 Advanced.

Am very tempted though... may go and look for a thread for beginners, there's bound to be one.

Very impressed by you all.

Peaches, the only way to go forward, is to be brave, you can always frog it (rip it back) if you don't like it. And when you get it right, save the swatches and stitch them into a blanket or a throw or something. I would love to do this but, dd nicks all my swatches and hordes them!
A yo is a yarn over, if you're doing a knit stitch bring the yarn forward between the needles so that you make an extra stitch when you knit the next one. SSk is just a decrease, slip a stitch onto the right hand needle without knitting it, do the same with the next and then knit them with the left hand one.

peaches don't let me put you off! Lace is actually quite straightforward - this is a good guide: knitters review. But I think a good book or a helpful hand would be useful before starting!

That's funny Filly, I was just thinking last night that I would like to do a cardi for myself and was having a search on Ravelry! I did see one thing I liked, but I've only really done one skein stuff so far so I'm not sure if I'm quite up to it...

i thought ssk was slip a stich knit the next stitch then slip the unknitted stitch over it?

Here is the one I liked

No, that's SKPO, SG.

oh dear!

Message withdrawn

Fear not SG, they are both ways of decreasing. They perform the same function.

who cares i am all about crochet now anyway!

I do ssk in a different way again I think . I slip two stitches on to the right needle and then knit into the front of both stitches together with the left needle. I think.