Blackwood Cardigan

I finally sewed something for myself! I needed a quick project requiring no thinking after all my sewing for Project Run and Play. The Blackwood Cardigan from Helen's Closet was the perfect thing! I bought the pattern back in September and planned to sew it up right away but then life  happened and it got pushed to the side. I'm glad I finally made it! I'm always cold, and living in Minnesota this time of year makes cardigans an essential wardrobe item!

I've been trying really hard to use my stash whenever possible. I bought this hacci sweater knit fabric from Girl Charlee two years ago. I didn't buy it with a project in mind, so it's been sitting in my stash for these last two years waiting to be sewed. Luckily I bought 2 yards, which is the exact requirement for view A in size medium!

The pattern is designed to be open at the front and it is perfect for layering. There are two versions - the hip length or the mid thigh length with patch pockets. I made the longer version but I left off the pockets because my fabric was not the best to work with! It was super stretchy and the pockets were not laying flat when I attempted to pin them on, so I thought it would be better to leave them off. I think they would be great on a more stable knit.

I wear a cardigan or sweater almost everyday in the winter time! I've been wanting a longer cardigan, so this was a perfect pattern to try. The directions were simple and straight forward as well. Helen offers a lot of tips for sewing with knits which is great if you haven't sewn knits before. I also like that there are no buttons in the front. I rarely wear my cardigans buttoned up.

I really like the extra long sleeves of this cardigan. Usually I have to lengthen sleeves, but I made no alterations to this cardigan. This cardigan layers great under a coat and you can pull the sleeves down to cover your hands.

Unfortunately, my tripod broke right before I started taking these pictures! Fortunately I was by a bridge so I just set my camera on the ledge and used my self timer. It seemed to work pretty well!

I layered the cardigan over my favorite Lady Skater dress with boots and a scarf. This is a pretty classic look for me this time of year! It was cold and windy, but I stayed fairly warm during the photoshoot with my cardigan and fleece lined leggings. 

I sewed this cardigan on my sewing machine, but would have loved to use a serger. The front band got a little wavy and stretched out, but I steamed it enough that it's not too noticeable. A walking foot may have helped some too, but I was going for quick and easy while sewing this project!

I decided to use the wrong side of the sweater knit for the bands. I like the different texture and subtle detail it adds. This knit is really soft and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of it this winter! 

Funny story about this photoshoot - the bridge is by a walking trail and there were a few people out while I was taking pictures. While I was checking my camera to see how the pictures were turning out, a guy walked by and saw me with the camera. He told me he just saw a bald eagle in a tree on the other side of the river. He wanted to show me, so we walked a little farther down the bridge and I was able to zoom in really close and get a few pictures! The guy kept on with his walk after he had showed me and told me to have fun. Haha! If only he knew the real reason I was out taking pictures!

I had fun sewing something for myself and I definitely want to sew this pattern again. I really like the long cardigan, but I want to try the shorter version as well. 

Do you have a favorite cardigan pattern? What do you have on your sewing table now? 

~Elizabeth