Finished my lil sideways sweater.
This simply brilliant free pattern is called Moussaillon by Cléonis.
You know how with most patterns (especially patterns for something as complex as a cardigan) you have to repeatedly count (and count AND COUNT) every stitch, every row? With Moussaillon, you can actually relax.
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| Front left panel complete; left sleeve started |
Moussaillon incorporates picot edging and short rows, but don't let these frighten you because it's very easy to see when it's time to add them in the course of your knitting. (What row am I on??? What stitch number is this??? You can put all these concerns to rest because you simply will see where you are at all times.)
The English translation of the pattern is written by a nonnative English speaker, so some native English speakers may find it difficult to read. But if you are generally familiar with knitting techniques, you shouldn't have much trouble figuring it out. And if you aren't familiar with making picots or short rows, there are dozens of video tutorials on YouTube that can show you how, so you don't have to rely solely on the pattern to explain them to you.
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| Trying on after finishing front left panel, left sleeve, and left side |
A project this size you of course will not be knitting all in one session. With some knitting projects, after you put them down and come back to them later, it can take an agonizingly long time to figure out where you left off if you didn't leave yourself detailed notes/counts/etc. With Moussaillon, it is always easy to see where you are when you return to the project.
When you get to the beginning of a row, will this be a picot row? Just look at where the previous picot is. Are you two rows away from it? Then just begin the row with regular knitting. Are you four rows away from it? Then it's time for a picot here. Simple as that.
I used two stitch markers when making this: one on the top edge to show where I began a new section, and one on the needle to show where to turn for a short row (that way I didn't have to count how many stitches were left on the needle each time it was time to make a short row). How will you know if it's time to make a short row? Well, is the stitch beside your turning marker a regular knit stitch or a wrapped stitch? If it's a regular stitch, it's time to make a short row. If it's a wrapped stitch, knit through to the end of the row. So easy!! I didn't even fuss with picking up the wraps on the knit-through rows because they all but disappear on their own inside the garter stitch fabric.
Yes, Moussaillon DOES require some counting, but the beauty of it is that you don't have to spend your time CONSTANTLY counting and recounting (and getting frustrated when someone else in the room speaks to you and causes you to lose count!). When I finished the first front panel, I counted how many rows wide it was so I could make a note to make the same number of rows when I got to the other front panel. Ditto for the width of the sleeve and the width of the underarm side. To determine the width of the back (as well as the width of the front panels and sleeves), the designer repeatedly suggests that you try on the cardigan and make adjustments based on how you want it to fit. This is very easy to do and gives you excellent feedback on how to personalize the fit.
All in all, I highly recommend this pattern. I plan to make it again and am looking forward to experimenting with different yarn weights/needle sizes and even maybe adding some lacy yarn-overs to change up the look. SO FUN!!!!
Front panel: two rows plus 28 bumps. Sleeve top: 28 bumps. Underarm side: 9 bumps. Back panel: 32 bumps.