Finished Object: Home on the Range

(To set the mood for this post, click "play" on this song - "Home on the Range" by Billy Vaughn, 1962.)

I'm happy to announce another fun finished project!  As you may have guessed by the music playing (feel free to hit "pause" if it bothers you), I finished the "Buffalo" cardigan [#434] from Mary Maxim, circa 1955.  A few modifications were needed; the recipient was sized differently than the standard pattern... So, after doing a gauge swatch, I added stitches to the pattern, removed rows to shorten it, and knitted, ripped, re-knitted, re-ripped, and knitted again.

This project wasn't difficult - but it had the same blocking issues as the seahorse cardigan.  When blocking pieces knit out of 100% wool, it's possible to "shrink" the pieces into shape.  (Actually, it's almost easier than stretching them to shape!) - once completed, the sweater fit like a glove, and the recipient was pleased, and so am I!  The horns on the buffalo were done using swiss darning or "duplicate stitch" - a video on this technique has been added to the video page.  I also added it to this post for convenience.

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino (100% Wool)
Colors: Natural (main), Paprika (stripes), Cognac Heather (buffalo heads)
Needles: US5 (3.75mm)
Size: Small (38) with modifications.

All the effort in sizing the cardigan paid off; it fits the recipient PERFECTLY!  And the buttons... You ask, where did I get the buttons?  Why from ETSY, of course!  When I first started to consider what buttons I wanted to use on this cardigan, I thought first that I should go to one of the amazing button shops in San Francisco then, realized that it's an opportunity to take advantage of the wide offerings on ETSY.... so, I did a search and scored wonderful buttons from Wicked Wool Gathering.  Visit their shop by clicking their banner:

The buttons arrived QUICK and are perfect for this project!  I would recommend checking out this Etsy seller the next time you're in the need for cool buttons - she's speedy, friendly, and her shipping costs are down-right reasonable!  I ended up having one extra button so, while making the shawl collar, I added a button hole in the back center to make use of that last lonely button.  I didn't want it to be all alone without its brothers and sisters...  This touch helps hold the collar down, keeps things nice and tidy, and if the wearer wants to pop the collar up it's as simple as unbuttoning the button.  If you'd like to see more about this project or "favorite" it on ravelry, you may do so by clicking HERE.

Hints for making sweaters such as this: 

1. Use 100% wool.  (as mentioned before, it makes blocking easier!)
2. Swatch! (seriously).  Now swatch again.
3. Rip (if it's not the right size).  It's only knitting.  You did it once, you can do it again.
4. Block before seaming. 

Of course, these suggestions are valid for lots of projects... paying attention to what we're doing... recognizing when something seems to be going awry, and taking action are some of the best rules to live by as we create!

Here's the video showing how to do Swiss Darning (also known as Duplicate Stitch):

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