Hope Macauley Cardigan

[amibeingaknob]

Ive been cooing over these cardigans for years, and I just saw it on Traitors and as Ive done quite well with work recently Im seriously considering buying one as a well done to myself. Am I mad? I want the colourful one, but its over £400!!!! Ive never spent that on anything before. I do know I would wear it to death, and it would make me crazy happy. I have a ratty old brown cardigan that I wear constantly. So should I go for it, or is that totally bonkers? Anyone got one? The fact you cant wash them might be an issue cos I know I would wear it constantly and Im a glumsy git.

Thoughts?

Oh and here is the beauty. I mean its a work of art and so cheery. The Colourful Colossal Knit Cardigan | Hope Macaulay

I also love the browner colours which would go with more Bruna Colossal Knit Cardigan | Hope Macaulay

I also wouldn't know what size to get. Im a size 10/12 tall with big boobs. I really want that oversize look so Im guessing M/L. Id want it a bigger fit than on the model. They are made to order so don't want to fuck it up.

FAQs - 'will my colossal knit pill?'

https://hopemacaulay.com/pages/mini-hope-macaulay-guide?srsltid=AfmBOopNr_3oPc5l3hYZUT5HrRkkEuWVwq4Tyh5Fl2ppr2Rp7V8WHJJo

I know you don’t want to make one, but it’s made doing hand knitting without using needles which is pretty straightforward with chunky yarn.

I think that the yarn she uses to make these is unspun fibre so it’s nothing like a commercial ball of wool. This is why you can’t wash it and need to look after it carefully.

If you love the cardigans (and have the money) then you should get one, but you will need to look after it. Don’t wear it in heavy rain without a coat!

WILL MY COLOSSAL KNIT PILL?

Please take into consideration when you receive your super colossal knitwear piece that pilling may occur when worn. This is totally natural and due to the super thick, luxurious nature of the un-spun wool/yarn. The thicker the knitwear piece, the more likely it is to pill.
Pilling is loose fibre, shedding or little balls that form when the knitwear piece is worn. This may happen more on the inside of the garment due to the friction against our clothes.
We recommend using our Hope Macaulay Knitwear Comb to brush through your knitwear piece, which you can order here. We swear by it! We find that this is the best way to keep our knitwear pieces looking great for years to come.

Mini Hope Macaulay Guide | Hope Macaulay

Oh my goodness I did not realise they were made with roving not yarn.

For those who are not knitters - roving is long fibres of fluffy yarn. The type of thing you'd use for felting, or spinning into yarn. When roving is spun, the spinner teases it out and the fibres twist into make the yarn. This is why you'll see terms like 2-ply (2 thin strands twisted together), 4-ply, 8-ply and so on.

The twisting and spinning gives the yarn strength. The roving will be fluffy and soft but will also pill (bobble) dreadfully and will not have the same strength as something made with yarn. These are great looking cardis but they will not last.

That pattern would be really easy to reverse engineer and it's unspun knit on huge needles so it would go really fast.

That said, I don't like super bulky knitwear, I find it uncomfortable and heavy and if it's knit at a tight gauge, not very flexible. I see it's unspun so it's basically roving and it's going to pill like crazy and possibly pull apart where the staple length of the wool ends if it's knit loosely.

I think they are lovely but very impractical. I've had a couple of bits of chunky expensive knitwear and they were there for a good time not a long time... Never the same even after you hand wash them. I think my mum could knit this ( not helpful).

It's made up of a square (the back), two rectangles (the front pieces), and two longer rectangle for the sleeves or maybe they're knit in the round.

Oh, roving will also felt from wear.

Yarn - Wool Warehouse - Buy Yarn, Wool, Needles & Other Knitting Supplies Online!

Patterns & Books - Wool Warehouse - Buy Yarn, Wool, Needles & Other Knitting Supplies Online!

The BBC did a documentary about her. She lives in rural Ireland and she employs women in the local villages to make them for her.

This is an interesting read: https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/s/rYCZY6uUK2 I think for over £400 I wouldn't be able to buy something if I didn't know it would last.

If you consider the cost of the wool and the number of hours to knit them then the price makes sense.

For price comparison: Chunky Knits – &Daughter

It's gorgeous, but chunky knitting is the easiest and quickest knitting there is. And with that one, you can see and count the stitches. Any basic knitter could knock it up in no time, and most wools are washable.

Good quality wool can be expensive, but not £400 expensive! I bet there are patterns online.

I posted links to a similar kit using acrylic yarn, similar patterns and wool yarn.
A bit of calculation and a few evenings and you could make your own, and you could wash it.

Acrylic is plastic. It is nasty and nothing like the luxury of wool.

@YellowPixie , that's why I linked to wool yarn.

Why do you think she made that choice? I mean you might not know but I’m intrigued.

I haven’t heard of her op, I looked it up her designs seem worth the price tag lasting issue aside.

It’s your money OP, but I definitely don’t think the brown one is worth the money. I kind of get the colourful ones but the brown one isn’t worth £470 in my opinion.

I don’t think these looks very nice or very functional - sorry! Definitely not at that price! I’d need timeless cashmere and the rest if I was shelling out that kind of money.

It's a fashion creation isn't it, they look amazing and it's very original. But just because you can do something doesn't mean it's practical for actually wearing.

The whole point of spinning ever since it was invented is to tightly twist the loose wool fibres so they make a long lasting yarn to weave or knit into fabric . The thick wool roving in the HM knitwear is basically taken out of the process before spinning. I feel a bit sad at the waste of the materials to be honest.

But trying to think of another way of getting the same effect. You can knit with multiple strands of normal yarn or fabric strips to get a chunky effect.

Aren't there cheaper alternatives ?Saw a whole article in the Daily Fail as you are not the only person interested in this. And states that this was made by hands knitting. It is a lot of money for what might be an occasional wear only . But if you love it and it brings you pleasure why not . People spend money on jewelry and holidays for the same reason.

It will not be an occassional wear for me. I will wear it to death. The longevity of it is now a concern as people have pointed out- seems like its likely to fray and pile which is gonna look shite.

It is incredibly easy to knit that even as a beginner. They are completely taking the piss to charge £400.

That's nicer as well as a better price!

Not me. I dress for myself and always have done.

She calls her stuff wearable art. It looks lovely but it won’t last.