Fall 2020 Knit Along Project | Plaid Party Cardi Finished

Y’all. My fall 2020 knit along project is finished! YAY!! I am absolutely in love with my Plaid Party Cardi! Let’s find out all the details!

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If you are new to the blog, let me first say, WELCOME!! 🙂 I’m so excited to have you here and hope you will stick around to enjoy all the fun crochet and knit things with me! One thing you will learn about me is how much I LOVE Knit Collage Yarn!!! It is my absolute favorite and working with it always brings so much joy! I mean, just look at those gorgeous little balls of squish! You can find out more about this amazing yarn in My Top 5 Favorite Yarn Brands post and My Knit Collage Spring KAL Projects post.

fall 2020 knit along project details

I was ecstatic to be able to join the fall 2020 knit along! My eye was on this Plaid Party Cardi from the very beginning. I think the design from Laurel Gervitz is absolute genius! It’s the perfect mix of structure and free spirit. And I couldn’t be happier to have a beautiful piece like this in my wardrobe.

One of the best parts of the knit along – besides the amazing yarn and designs of course – is how much support and how many detailed instructions you receive! This pattern was so well written. And with the video tutorials included, you have everything you need to succeed! If you have been debating about joining a Knit Collage knit along because the garments or designs seemed intimidating, don’t let that stop you! In addition to the detailed patterns and video tutorials, there is so much one-on-one support and so many opportunities to ask questions.

I made a size 3 and it’s a great fit! The pattern suggests 1-4″ of positive ease at the bust. The size 3 had a 40″ bust measurement and my bust measurement is approximately 34.5″. My gauge was fairly accurate with the suggested needle size, so I just went with it! My finished cardigan bust measurement is right around 40″ as well. And I love the room that it has. I tend to wear my shirts more oversized, so this was perfect! 🙂

plaid party cardi magic

Y’all, isn’t the idea of a plaid pattern with this beautiful art yarn absolutely mind-blowing?! I mean, it is just so cool and so unique! I am all about unique and this cardigan was calling my name from the start! My dilemma? Trying to figure out how I wanted my contrast colors to go. I knew that with the combo of this yarn and this design, you couldn’t really go wrong. But I wanted to figure out just the right pattern for my sweater.

contrast colors

I started out with more of a striped pattern – this is what I used on my gauge swatch. And, like I mentioned, it’s hard to really go wrong with this yarn and design. 😉 After I got a fare amount of the way along on the back though, I felt like it was a bit too uniform for my taste. I wanted more of a random and organic feel. So, I decided to just begin a color pattern with the contrast colors. And continue to repeat that pattern over and over. I really love the finished look! 🙂

fall 2020 knit along project plaid party cardi

sleeves

I decided to change it up a bit for the sleeves and go with an ombre effect. Starting with the Dreamland Yarn in Daisy Summer, I continued adding the brighter, warmer shades as I went down the sleeve…Cast Away in Wildflower, Daisy Chain in Sweet Papaya and Spun Cloud in Bodacious Pink…I finished with the Wildflower Yarn in Reflection Pool and just a tiny bit more of the Daisy Summer at the end before the cuff.

One really cool technique that I learned for this sweater was the shadow wrap! Have you used it? It’s such a neat technique that gives beautiful shaping to the shoulders of your garment. I always love learning new things. Don’t y’all?! And each knit along that I’ve been a part of – that’s 2 now 😉 – I have learned something new with it. Yay!! 🙂

The combo of the more organic front and the the ombre sleeve just adds to the playful feel of the sweater! The sleeves on the schematic measured 18″ from the underarm. And my finished sleeves are about 17.5″. I did add an extra row on the cuff as well. This cardigan hasn’t been blocked yet (except for steam-blocking the I-Cord bands on the front), so the measurement may be slightly different after that. It laid so nicely already. So, I figured no need. 🙂 I do think I will have to block the bands again though.

front

There were two options for the front – an I-Cord band or a ribbed band. For the ribbed band option you could add buttons and button holes. That was also super cute, but I felt like the I-Cord suited me best for this cardigan. I think I have a slight obsession with I-Cords in both knitting and crochet. LOL!! You may have noticed with some of my recent designs. 😉

here is a video all about my finished fall 2020 knit along project. press play!

bonus!

I mentioned this in my spring KAL blog post, but it’s definitely worth another mention. 😉 When you join, you get access to ALL the patterns in the knit along – even the ones you didn’t purchase a kit for! Isn’t that AWESOME?!! I made an extra sweater in the spring and I started an extra scarf this time around…More to come on that!

Plaid Party Cardi wrap up

Garments are my absolute favorite thing to make! There is just something so special about having a handmade wardrobe. Don’t ya think? 🙂 I am so excited to have this gorgeous sweater among my knits! Just looking at the vibrant colors and cool stitch work makes me so happy! I can’t wait for the spring 2021 knit along and to see all the fabulous designs coming out for that as well! Let me know if you plan on joining in!

I hope you enjoyed finding out all the details about my fall 2020 finished project! Thanks so much for joining me! See you soon!

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