By Tawni Rogers
I've been feverishly working on making a white cardigan. My mother requested a cardigan to be made, especially this time of year, because she's one of those people that are always cold. I found a new pattern to try that I hadn't before tried, and it's been coming along nicely.
Don't lose this article. Enter your email below, and I'll send it to you right now. Plus a little crochet inspiration from me, straight to your inbox.
Pieces Piled on a Cracked Chair Waiting to Be Sewn
The construction of all of the pieces of the cardigan was fairly straightforward. I really enjoyed adding ribbing to the bottoms and the cuffs of the sleeves. I think it's going to look really pretty once it's put together.
However, I've now reached the point in every crochet project that I think a lot of us struggle with, and that is sewing it together.
I don't know why, but I really enjoy using a hook and stitches and actually making something. But when it comes to sewing it together at the end, I just drag my feet sometimes. I'm not sure why.
These pieces have sat on my cracked chair for four or five evenings now, and I really need to get around to putting them together so that the project is finished.
Is anyone else like that?
The Fall Throw Is Done, the Christmas Blanket Is Undecided
Last month I mentioned that I finished my fall throw blanket, which I'm very proud of. I have not started another large project like that yet.
I need to get on it, though, because right at this very moment, I need to either start a Christmas blanket or decide that I'm not making one this year because it would not be ready for the holidays at this point.
Don't lose this article. Enter your email below, and I'll send it to you right now. Plus a little crochet inspiration from me, straight to your inbox.
Why I'd Sew the Cardigan as I Go Next Time
For this particular cardigan project, what I would probably do is sew it together as I'm working on it. I think that would make it less intimidating as I'm going about, so I don't have all these loose pieces at the end. Maybe if I sewed the pieces together as I completed them, then I wouldn't drag my feet, and it wouldn't seem like such a daunting project.
Frogging the Cardigan Three Times Over Chunky Yarn
Oh man, let me tell you though, I tried to go about this project backwards, and I got frustrated over and over again. This cardigan is being custom-made around the type of yarn that my mom picked out. I had a pattern for a cardigan that I thought would work, but it did call for smaller yarn.
She really wanted this nice soft chunky yarn. I tried and tried with the pattern I had and the yarn she wanted, and I am not joking, I probably frogged this entire project at least three times. I probably lost a good six or eight hours' worth of work starting it over and over.
Finally, I just gave up. I decided to find another pattern specifically for the chunky size of yarn that I knew I wanted to use, and it's been going much better since.
Five Skeins of Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek and a Size 10 Hook
For this project, I did need to buy five skeins of yarn. The yarn I'm using is a very soft yarn from Hobby Lobby. It's a chunky, thick yarn that I don't typically use, but it is called Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek Chunky.
Because this is a larger yarn than I typically use with my projects, of course, I also had to buy another hook. I'm using a size 10 hook for this project, and I've never used that large of a hook for anything else before.
A Crunch-Time Halloween Hat for My Niece
Moving on next, I'm attempting to make a hat that my niece will need for her Halloween costume. That's gonna be a crunch-time project because it's nearly Halloween, and I need to get going. Speaking of which, I'd better head off and start that now.
