After knitting quite a few projects with fingering-weight wool, this cardigan brought me back to the joys of worsted. The Embla Cardigan is a free pattern by Stine HoelgaardJohansen and is available through Ravelry. It features a top down seamless construction with a beautiful sleeve detail. I ran into a few issues while making this cardigan, but they had absolutely nothing to do with the pattern. It was very clear and well written.
I had three skeins of Lion Brand Fishermen’s wool languishing in my stash for months. I use the word “skeins” loosely as the quantity in each one is massive. I almost squeezed the whole cardigan out of two. Anyways, I really wanted to get them out of my stash, so I did a search on Ravelry for worsted-weight cardigan patterns. I knew I wanted something simple that fit the amount I had on hand, and the Embla Cardigan fit the bill.
The Fishermen’s Wool, while a great value, is extremely rustic. That’s a kind way of saying it itches something fierce. That’s my first issue with this cardigan. I have layered it over a long sleeve shirt on a particularly cold day and that worked well, but I typically wear my cardigans open over a camisole. I’ll probably put up with it because it’s hand made, but it was certainly a lesson learned.
Another issue I have with this cardigan is the opening at the top. I’ve learned that I prefer a v-neck opening vs. the high rounded neckline featured in this pattern. This is entirely my personal preference, so I don’t hold anything against it.
The last gripe I have with this make, and again this is 100% my fault, is the bind off. I’m still learning how to do an Italian bind off (even after 12+ years of knitting), and I definitely messed it up this time. I didn’t even realize it until I saw the difference between the cuffs and the button band. The cuffs are perfect, but the bottom and button bands are off by one, making the purls knits and the knits purls – that means it doesn’t have the smooth finish that the Italian bind off is made for. At least I was consistently wrong, so it still looks ok. Only a seasoned knitter will notice.
But look at these sleeves! I want to make this cardigan again simply for these gorgeous sleeves. I might even use the lace pattern in a simple sweater in the future. Overall, this was a really lovely pattern that I really recommend. Be sure to take a look at my Ravelry page for additional notes.
Happy making,
Jackie
A little disclaimer: This blog is very small, so it almost goes without saying, but I am not affiliated with any brands mentioned in this post.
by jackie rose 
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