The good news: I’ve knitted a cardigan!
I bought this perfectly lovely ivory cotton yarn at the beginning of last spring, and started this cardigan when I had finished the garter stitch jacket. I can be a pretty quick knitter if I’m in the mood…
The buttons; nacre, with that distinctive subdued sheen that I love, are favourites that I have used on many projects before. They are from Fabulous Fabrics.
This is a great pattern. I like the shaping, done in a dressmaking style like darts in the body, and not shaped in the side seams which is how I’ve knitted the shape into jumpers and cardigans up until now. A good method. I’m chuffed with this pattern, and will use it again. With variations.
You see; I have bought up quite a lot of this yarn lately and so (this is embarrassing) as well as my fabric stash I now have a yarn stash too. Up until now I have bought wool to knit up immediately leaving myself only with scraps and leftovers.
Why have I changed my ways? well now we come to the bad news:
I got word just before Christmas that the Jo Sharp Knit store here was closing down and was selling off its stock. I am extremely sad about that. I can’t bear when local stores and particularly local craft stores, close down. But anyhow, of course I just had to pop in and check out the remaining stock, and bought… a bit… of yarn 😉 Now I have enough supply for at least a year’s worth of knitting, including a few more little cotton cardigans like this, so it is a good thing that this pattern worked out!
Details:
Cardigan; knitted by me, the Fitted Cardigan 04, version 1 with the lace edging and three-quarter sleeves, in Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton; colour Calico (shade 216)
Camisole (under) Country Road
Skirt; self drafted, charcoal jersey knit
Shoes; Bronx, from Zomp shoes
Ahem, I wasn’t sure whether to write about this here or not, since I don’t like to be all sulky sad-face here, buuuut… my double sleeved shirt got such a low rating on Burdastyle that I removed the project. I just felt so depressed about it. Actually I don’t whether to even continue on that site. I’m just losing faith in it a bit. OK, a lot. The ratings system is just too awful. I know they’ve copped a lot of flack for having that rating system, I’ve been reading the complaints for years, but it is still there. I don’t rate other people’s projects myself because I think to give a low rating is mean and counter-productive and often completely governed by personal taste. One might not choose to make or wear someone else’s project, but I reckon that is not a good enough reason to give it the thumbs down. Speaking on behalf of my shirt, it was pretty darn well-made if I say so myself. A tailored shirt is not an easy project, and is something that’s taken me a few shirts to perfect. Particularly when I’m going to the effort to custom fit. Which I am. And as well, anyone who has attempted refashioning with an old garment will know it is way more of a challenge to get a good result than with a perfect piece of untouched new fabric.
Soooo, there it is. Rant over. Sorry about that. Good natured posts should resume soon… once I’ve got over it.
Have a great day, everybody!
Very nice cardigan. I especially love the bottom. Hope you had a great New Year.
Carolyn, exactly right, a properly fitted, refashioned, tailored shirt is quite an achievement, and I really liked the effect you achieved, so thought I'd let you know. The lacy cotton knit cardigan is also lovely and very clever with the darts.
What a nice cardigan. I love the use of darts in knitted garments. If only I could knit at a reasonable speed…
About the Burdastyle ratings: don't let it get you down. Sometimes, the feature doesn't even work properly. I've had comments in the past from people who wanted to give me top marks but noticed the system actually gave me the lowest mark. As long as you don't get nasty comments, that may be to blame. And as for nasty comments: it's a sad sort of person who insults someone else's hard work.
I know it's hard to ignore, these posts are personal after all. In the old year I felt rather let down when I received no comments on Burdastyle or the blog on a couple of things in a row.
But I can tell you this: at the meeting I had with fellow bloggers and PR members in November, when chatting about blogs we read, several people mentioned reading your blog and admiring your creations (pattern magic stuff and the yellow bathing suit were especially popular)
its a really interesting knitting pattern! i hvent seen one with darts before! your version is so pretty! i wish i had the patience for fine knitting like this.
i also hate the burdastyle rating system — so i ignore them on my projects!
Your cardigan knitted up beautifully! I love the colour and your knitting looks perfect 🙂 Sam xox
Gorgeous cardigan, bravo!
Really beautiful cardigan, especially with that lacy bottom. You look very smart!
I've never used Burdastyle, but I wouldn't use a site that let's people *rate* my work. Comment, yes, rate, no. How does that help your artistic growth? Unless you have a skin of steel, why open yourself up to that sort of judgement? Not everyone is going to love every project, no matter how talented the creative person is. And if you are working *ahead* of the trends, there are people who won't respond positively. But this is just my 2cents. Only you can decide what sort of feedback is helpful. 🙂
First, I am so impressed with your cardigan! The needles must have been tiny. It's very fine.
Second, of course you had to buy a gross lot of yarn from the store closing down. It's what any clothes maker worth her salt would do!
Third, the Burda website confounds me. I only just tried to log on and participate. I felt like I should because I sew so much Burda. I am not at ease with it. I find it hard to navigate and use. I can't figure out what is going on and I can't find anything. Pattern Review may be a little clunky and a little "old skool" but I much prefer it. I know how to find stuff and understand what is going on. I like to admire and be inspired by other people's work. I'm not interested in rating it though. I want to go to these sort of sites to gain insights about patterns I may want to use and to get ideas. Rating the pattern yes, rating the sewist effort, no! I was hoping that the Burda website would be a great place for people who sew Burda to meet up and share tips about their difficult to fathom magazine instructions, instead it seems to be a place to compete and show off. Such a pity.
I love your cardigan and I'm looking at my own yarn stash with frustration (haven't knitted in ages, at least not for myself). I think the construction with darts looks lovely.
About burdastyle: Maybe I would stay away from posting there, since most people will rate according to their own taste, and we all know how much tastes differ. What a shame, I wouldn't put myself through the frustration; criticism hurts.
Here (and probably on Pattern Review) people know you, and you know (part of) your readers and I think those comments are more helpful, and people will tell you WHY the like or dislike something, which is much more constructive.
I love your style! The things you sew are very unique (in a good way!) and I REALLY admire your craftsmanship!
I'm glad you are into projects most people would never even think of. Don't let others get you down.
The cardigan is wonderful! I consider myself a patient person, and I do know how to to knitting stitches, but I have very little luck with patterns. I do worry as I begin a project that I will a) lose interest before it's finished; b) make it so badly that it's unwearable and that I will have wasted all that time that I could have done something else with. I do have a huge stash of various yarns, though, and I'm determined to do something useful with it – or just give it all to charity…not sure which…
I agree that it's sometimes not very kind to give negative feedback, though in some circumstances it can be pretty useful. Taste and preference in clothing design is such an individual thing that if an item is well-made there is really not much point in being critical about the design. You might want to consider what, if any, benefit you get from the Burda website (traffic to your blog?) before abandoning it. On the other hand, if it gives you grief, who needs it?
I wouldn't let something as menial as a cruddy rating system get you down. Burdastyle is a lovely outlet, but it's also full of cruddy contributions.
Why do we sew? To please ourselves. If you start doing it for others, then you shouldn't be doing it at all.
I think that the fabulous peoples commenting on your projects here are what counts. Ignore the unwashed masses and keep producing garments that inspire you.
Speaking of which, this cardy is a winner. Chin up!
I love your cardi. It's so elegant.
I'm glad you feel you can rant on your own blog. Refashioning garments is very time consuming and there's quiet a bit of problem solving required and I'm not a Burdastyle person.
Just to reiterate, Great cardi.
How many of you are there? You are amazing at what you can accomplish–overnight! Any one of your projects would have me occupied for a very long time. You turn our extraordinary work–EVERYDAY!!
Amazing!
You're so clever – it's a lovely little cardigan and to a non-knitter it looks very tricky!
I post garment pictures irregularly on Burdastyle, and I like that I can post stuff there quickly and not need to include too many details (well obviously if anyone was interested in details they could come to my blog) – but you're right, the rating system doesn't necessarily get it right (maybe it's about number of friends, or cool factor? or time of day?). Don't let it get to you!
You did better with me with Burdastyle, I couldn't even find my way around the site so I gave up on it and haven't been back!
I thought your shirt was lovely, very your style and incredibly well executed as per usual. I don't get why people feel that they should get to express opinions on absolutely everything and why they don't take into consideration that there is a real person behind what they're looking at. Even though your shirt was not my style and not something I'm looking to make right now (although I will be referring to your shirt making posts in the future whilst making shirts for my boys)I can still appreciate it and think it is a wonderful garment.
Your cardigan is fabulous too. And don't worry about the yarn stash, it doesn't take up all that much room (cough cough)!
I love the cardi … I hate (and don't have any) bought knitted stuff, but I adore hand knitted and yours is lovely. (I should learn to knit!)
You do lovely work and your standards are very high.
Lovely cardigan. Sympathies on the yarn stash, I am starting one myself!
The picture is wonderful, and I want the same outfit !
Ah, this is one of those times when I wish I could knit! What a lovely cardigan! (And great picture – I took a picture on the beach recently, and thought of you immediately!)
I'm not a member of BurdaStyle, but it always seemed to have a bit of a popularity-contest feel to it… I think that a simple dress with pretty fabric sort of gets more looks on BurdaStyle than a well-made shirt? I don't know why, maybe it's just the community of sewists that hang out there? I might draw flak for saying this, but the BurdaStyle community seems much more about pretty photos and looking good rather than about sewing proficiency… (of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and there are wonderfully talented sewists on BurdaStyle – these are general observations…)
Your cardigan is lovely! And I'm sorry to hear about your bad BurdaStyle experience. I've never paid attention to the ratings myself, but then, I'm a solid year behind on actually posting my stuff there. I feel bad because I used to be a really active member of the community, and being in the book and all, but it's just so hard for me to motivate myself to post my creations there after I already wrote the whole thing up for my own blog. (Plus I know my self-taken pictures aren't the best by a long shot, and that seems to be a big part of what people pay attention to there.) For the record, while the double-sleeved shirt isn't one I would wear myself, I thought you did an excellent and creative job of putting it together, and that's something that any sewist should be able to acknowledge.
Very cute! It looks like it will pair great with anything. And you have a new backdrop, hopefully I will too once winter is up (though it feels like spring right now!)
It makes me sad that anyone would discourage you! You are such a positive, beautiful and inspiring person. I actually found you through the burda site so for that I am thankful, but I do have reservations about making myself an account there because I'm sort of afraid of the comments.
I hope your bruised feelings get well soon and BRAVO on the cardigan – you amaze me with your many talents!
Another lovely garment! I too have been knitting up a fitted cardigan, just one side seam to sew up and it will be complete:) but let's not forget the post about it – lol
Nice work. As always its a joy to see your creations bathed in sunlight
Love this cardigan, very nice job! Your whole outfit looks great!
I just finished a potholder LOL hardly in the class of a cardigan eh :O), I am learning to crochet. I have now started a purse. I used all cotton yarn on the potholder and am using all cotton on the purse. I very much like the look of it. :O)
Lovely cardigan–the dart styling is great.
I hear you on the BurdaStyle rating system–it's so discouraging to put up something beautifully made that you love and then have someone give it a horrible rating (and then you just wonder WHY?!).
The cardigan is lovely and looks so versatile! I especially like the photo you opened with today.
I never understood having a yarn stash until about 7 months ago when my LYS announced it was closing. All of a sudden I found that I could afford wool for sweaters and socks and couldn't resist all the marked down goodies. I am set for a long while now! 😉
Beautiful knitting! I can't sit long enough to knit, just because I'm restless. But I hope to learn someday…
Regarding those meanies on the burda site, don't listen to them! That double sleeved shirt was VERY creative and well done. I applaud you~
Your cardigan is beautiful – I think it really suits you too! I love the fully fashioned look of the 'darts' – it is so much better than a flat piece. It is good to see this returning to many knitting patterns!
I've never paid any attention to the rating system on Burdastyle – it means little to me how many people like my project, it is whether I like it that counts! Don't let it get you down – you probably have more experience than the commenter/raters to know whether your project is good or not!
It just goes to show how different taste is, because after I saw your refashioned shirt I did a quick sketch to see if I could pull off that look!
When I first saw the ratings system on the Burdastyle site I couldn't understand its purpose. It just appears to be a mechanism to judge according to taste, and who cares what anyone else thinks about something so individual and beyond comment?
Your cardy and the photo are lovely – I was struck by the structural resonances in both.
Re the age thing, the Pastille dress looks exceptionally youthful to me, and I felt very uncomfortable in it. (a strong dissonance between the feel of the design and my life stage). That dissonance is what I jokingly call "my inner mutton."
I love your cardigan. I have begun knitting again due to going on holiday and am thoroughly enjoying it.
Your shirt project is beautifully made. I don't post on Burda Style myself and based on what you said I doubt I would.
Carolyn,
everything you do is well done! It's really amazing! Your sewing work remember me the Tany's one, always perfect. Do you know her? She lives in Portugal (http://tanysewsandknits.blogspot.com).
People usually don't like to innovations, and you're always doing something new, you're a researcher of fashion and sewing…
You don't have to listen anyone.
I love your blog, your sewing art and you!
Forgot them!
Kisses. (I hope you'll understand my poor english…)
What a pretty cardigan, I love the lace hem and it's so cool that it has actual darts! 🙂
Ah, forget about Burdastyle ratings. People are stupid. I love your quirky style and you may be the blogger with the most attention to finicky detail and the most beautiful, couture finishings that I know of! Don't be discouraged by silly people!
Carolyn, I love that cardigan and wish I could knit. But I cannot and really have no patience for it. One of my hands is handicapped (hahaa)and to handle small item is sometimes difficult. But, enough of that…Burdastyle strikes me as somewhat unsophisticated/ingenue feel. That is not your style at all, and I think that is where the confusion arises when people try to rate your work. They don't see the *craft* and the *art* of it.
I am making a Sewaholic jacket and also some Colette pieces. I feel like the oldest person on those sewalongs/blogs! I'll bet my work is not rated high by some of those sewists either. Chin up friend!
Everyone above has covered kinda what I wanted to say… you're amazing, in summary! But, I didn't even know there was a rating system… and looked at mine straight away (oh the ego) and there were a whole range of them. Not every garment suits the majority, and YAY! That's what I prefer! xoxo
Carolyn, you are an amazing seamstress! Don't let the silly negative reviews get you down. BurdaStyle is a very superficial site – you could post a pillowcase made out of pretty fabric and it would get rave reviews. Keep doing what you are doing – I love your work and I find it very inspiring.
That cardigan is beautiful! I am envious of anyone who can knit as I haven't found the patience to learn.
I stopped going to Burdastyle because it's been awful for a few years now. Good idea in the beginning (Remember Open Source Sewing??) Terrible site now. Just my opinion of course.
Hi Carolyn – love your cardigan and am so sad too to see Jo Sharp closing down. My local yarn shop "Sunspun" buys their stock from o/s – go figure!!! As for Burdastyle – much prefer My sewing Circle – it's a bit like Ravelry. I see no point in people rating other people's work – you sew for your purposes and not to be rated by anyone else – Burdastyle is not for me. Sorry that this has happened – you are a fantastic sewer so don't even listen to what other people say.
What a nice cardigan, I likethat it's figured
It's always good having a yarn stash, I think I have enough for the next five years or so
Since the knitting gene passed me over (big time….I DID try….and failed) I don't even understand how it's possible to knit something so beautifully elegant! I bow to you…..
As far as Burdastyle, every time I visit it I end up walking away befuddled. I just don't get the appeal, but that's just me…. Just stick with us in blogland – we LOVE your work!
That is so pretty, the lace border and the darts are both gorgeous details.
Other people rating your projects? What a strange idea. What appeals to a large number of people is middle of the road, not interesting or necessarily well made clothing, not many people can even recognize well made clothing. Just sewing middle of the road would be rather dull in my opinion – and I am very conservative in the way I dress!
What every body else said! I think you are incredibly talented and productive. Not everything you make is to my personal taste 🙂 but that doesn't take away from the creativity and skill required to produce them. You keep on making things you like and I'll keep on reading your blog with pleasure and admiration.
I'm in Perth, too.
Love the cardi, I can't knit to save myself, but I'm intrigued by the idea of a type of dart being incorporated into the pattern rather than just side shaping.
I must admit that I've stopped using the BurdaStyle site, I prefer the more personal style of blogs. I get a better understanding of the inspiration, challenges and the sewists feelings for the finished item.
I really enjoy the different designs you create. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same 🙂
Your knitting is as impeccable as your sewing . That looks like a really useful little cardy. Sad that another craft shop is closing down – Frou Frous was a fab. material shop that closed down in Dec. 2011.
I rarely look at Burdastyle – had no idea about the ratings – glad I never post there – I would perpetually fail !
What a great cardigan! Knitted darts are a wonderful thing. You should look at Connie Chang Chinchio's work, this cardigan reminded me of her work. I did the same as you and bought a whole lot of yarn when one of my local shops closed.
Even though mostly of what I sew is from Burda I never post over at Burda Style, I find the site difficult to navigate plus I think it is geared to a demographic that doesn't include me. You are right a button down shirt takes a lot of work and from what I have seen the garments posted in Burda Style are much simpler and quick sews.
This is an amazing piece of knitting Carolyn. You are truly talented. I too like the shaping and the detailing is lovely.
I pay no attention at all to the ratings on Burdastyle. For the best part I'm sure there are green eyed contributors who enjoy sabotaging others ratings. Why else would someone purposefully mark someone down, especially when all of the comments are positive? I've wondered this for some time now. I agree that the ratings should be scrapped or at least be linked to the person who rated. They would at least have to justify their rating then!
So Beautiful.
I envy your knitting skill & productivity. What a fantastic, versatile cardi.
I *may* be at the edge of the demographic burdastyle seems to attract, but thesite had a high school clique feel to it. I didn't join in reindeer games in high school and have no desire to do so now. You do wonderful work and generously showcase your creations here on your blog – and look how many of us love you for it? :). Keep doing what pleases you.
I am amazed and super jealous, it looks wonderful 🙂
Beautiful cardigan! My daughter got knitting needles and yarn for Christmas. I'm gong to send her a link to your blog for inspiration.
I am so impressed by your knitting skills and also the fact that you make so many beautifully tailored items. I have taken knitting classes and could never get the hang of it. As far as Burdastyle goes the internet can be cruel. I just came in dead last for a sewing competition that ended up being a FBook popularity contest. How could anyone give your beautiful work a thumbs down? Screw them!
Your new cardigan is gorgeous, and to think it is made with a cotton yarn. That just sounds so comfortable. I also love the photo on the bridge. Great shot!
Beautiful cardigan. I understand what you are saying about BurdaStyle- the rating they should have got rid of ages ago- it does not even make sense to rate other peoples projects.
I too would have enlarged the stash if my favorite local store was going out of business! as it was the owner of our little store turned 60 and put everything 20% off and some things 50% off to celebrate, and I had to truly restrain myself to only by for those projects that I already have planned for specific people this year, not that would be fun to make for something sometime… but it was difficult! I would love to make up a cardigan for myself, in something summer weight – and I feel like I could now that my shrug turned out well and I've had more practice with more techniques… Yours is lovely! I will be happy to see what else you make with that yarn…
Hi Carolyn
I love this cardigan pattern. I've only just started knitting again, but patterns like this really tempt me to continue. It looks great and I reckon you've done a fab job!
Love it!