You may have been following our West Coast Cardigan knitalong earlier this year and wondered if I ever finished my project!? As sometimes happens, I reached 99% completion with just a few finishing steps and well, life got busy, cold and flu season was especially bad, and before I knew it, months had passed!! However, camping season is here and I knew I needed to finish before our first trip. Elsie and I live in our West Coast Cardigans when we're in the woods!
I actually completed the sweater close to the deadline but wasn't happy with the zipper. I'd foolishly purchased one before blocking and since I purposely blocked some length into the finished garment the zipper ended up too short and the fronts puckered once the zipper was installed. I think I may have also mentioned that because I'd stretched the length my pocket linings were then too wide and short so I reknit them to match the new dimensions of the sweater.
I've snapped some pictures and I'm excited to finally share my finished Thunderbird WCC with you! I've actually been wearing it, wonky zipper, faux pockets and all! It's very rewarding to have it finished properly and enjoy real pockets and a zipper that doesn't pucker!!
{ Now I'm ready for camping!!! }
Do you bring your knitting camping? What are your favourite knits to wear in the woods?
WEST COAST CARDIGAN / Helpful Posts
If you are thinking of casting on your own WCC, feel free to post in the knit-along thread here — even though the official deadline has passed, it's a great way to share your project with other WCC knitters.
It's also become a wealth of information. I've compiled a list of all of the WCCKAL posts. Some of them break down the more involved portions of the pattern. They're a great resource if you're looking for more in depth instruction and visual tutorials!
WCCKAL POSTS :
This is great. I plan to make one for my daughter for Xmas. I'm always following the crowd. But I made them for my kids when they were little and they are perfect for our west coast climate. I appreciate the Cowichan influence without copying it. She will look great at UVIC with a modernized style and keep warm.
ReplyDeleteLori — what a lucky daughter! It's definitely a perfect layer for our coastal climate! And thank you, I tried to be very mindful to take inspiration without copying when I designed the WCC. I'm glad that carries over :)
DeleteAwesome! It will keep you warm and cozy come Winter.
ReplyDeleteIt will! We also wear ours a ton during the summer camping season! It's ideal around the fire at night or to cut the wind on the coast.
DeleteThat is a beautiful cardigan. I bet you had to steek. One of these days, I'll get there!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! I didn't steek it actually! I was worried about added bulk. It wasn't difficult to do!
DeleteJane your finished WCC looks awesome 👏🏼 I've made my dad a vest and stupidly attached the zipper before I blocked it, is it at all possible to still gently block it still?? 😔 Any suggestions would be so appreciated ❣️
ReplyDeleteOh a vest would be awesome!! You could always try blocking it as is (with zipper installed) and if it gets really wonky then you can decide whether to pull out the zipper, reblock, and reinstall. I'd give it a shot though and see how it goes! My fingers are crossed for you!! I'm dying to see it!
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