I've been wanting to knit this cardigan when it was still being knitted by Marie-Adeline. Marie-Adeline is a beautiful and elegant French lady who designed most of her knitting projects which are as pretty and adorable as their designer. They have this special vibe I think the French call chic. I adored this cardigan so much so I asked if the pattern would be published and that I will definitely buy it. In response, Marie-Adeline invited me to be her test knitter which was a great honor!
二月初, 過年前一週, 搬完家的第二天, 收到了測織織圖的第一部分(身體). 當時時實在忙到不行, 要趕快把東西通通拆箱放好, 再整理清潔把兩小接回家, 準備過年. 過年那一週也是天天行程排滿滿, 過年後所有的人一個個開始感冒生病, 等到大家都好差不多時, 已經二月底三月初了.
The first week of February, a week before the Chinese New Year, one day after I moved back to our apartment (which underwent refurnishment), I received the first part of the pattern for test knitting. I started thinking right away about which yarn to use but I was so swamped with unpacking, tidying up, settling down, getting ready for the CNY, so I didn't have a chance to go through my stash or visit a yarn shop. The schedule was also full the whole week of the New Year holidays. Afterwards, everyone in the family started to get sick from the common cold. When we finally started to get well, March was already on its way.
三月初時, 想了很久, 覺得現有庫存中實在沒有適合的線打這件外套, 有適合粗細的線是段染的, 有素色的線但太細或太粗, 最後決定跑一趟士林毛線超市買素色中細線來打. 到了毛線超市, 本以為可以很快選好線買了回家, 因為帶著兩小在毛線店不宜久留. 偏偏, 就是找不到理想的, 因為預算關係想盡量不要買太貴的, 可是便宜的成份就不滿意, 成分滿意的就貴. 看了半個多小時最後買了一磅 1800 的純美麗諾, 就是我用過很多次的熊貓牌金牌美麗諾, 顏色應該是 731, 但去過士林毛線超市的都知道, 她們都會把掛牌換掉, 價錢也比外面用原掛牌的便宜. 花這麼久時間挑的另一個原因是選顏色, 因為不想選常打的紫色紫紅色藍色系, 連果綠色家裡都有一件舊的外套已經計畫要拆來重打, 且又找不到其他好看的綠 (只有果綠和淺綠兩種) , 最後買了一組拿鐵色的, 很不像是我會選的顏色, 不過這組顏色很不錯看, 感覺很溫柔舒服, 覺得應該很適合打這件外套. 這顏色跟 Marie-Adeline 的有些類似, 不過她的比較金, 而且還有其他對比色的小毛球.
After some long thought, I decided to go to Shilin Yarn Supermarket, a yarn shop in Taipei known for its variety, quantity and price, for there are no suitable yarns in my stash for the project. I thought I could pick out the yarn in very little time and go home for I was taking the twins with me, but to my dismay it took over half an hour to accomplish the mission. I had a budget, but the yarns within it didn't meet my material composition requirement, the ones that did were over it. And the choice of color was also delaying me. I didn't want to pick my usual color families (blues, purples) nor apple green for I have an old cardigan by that color which I plan to rip and reknit, and the shop has very little pretty greens. In the end, I bought a latte heather merino over the budget, not my usual or favorite, but the color has a soft and tender feel which I thought should be great for knitting the cardigan.
開打時一直不順利, 因為是圓形編織, 起的針目多, 連續兩次都扭到, 打了好多圈才發現. 還有一開始用的是 80 公分的輪針, 織片被撐開剛剛好反而不好打, 必須邊打邊推很累, 第三次就換 60 公分的打好多了. 這線的鬆緊度目數比織圖要求的小一點, 段數一樣. 我要打的是 36 吋, 織圖最接近的兩個尺寸是 34 和 38 吋, 就選打 38 吋的, 因為我的目數鬆緊度小一點, 起原織圖 38 吋的目數打出來大概 35 吋, 最後再蒸氣定型穿起來應該是很合身的.
It wasn't very smooth at the beginning for it is knitted in the round, and with large numbers of stitchs on the needle, I twisted the knitting twice in a row. Then I found out I should be using a shorter circular (60cm) instead of the longer one (80cm), which kind of stretch the knitting out a bit and I had to push very often while knitting and it was tiring. My gauge is a little smaller in stitches than the gauge stated in the pattern while the row gauge is the same. I chose to knit size 38 and with my gauge the knitting should come out a 35. Hopefully after blocking it will be very fitting on my 36 figure!
打完第一部分五片幸運草要接打第二部分另五片幸運草 (每段只有第一部分的一半數量)
5 repeats of Cloverleaf Pattern Part 1 + 1 repeat of Part 2
拍完照要繼續努力時發現, 6 段一重複的幸運草我打成 7 段一重複! 我得拆掉四片幸運草, 到回第一部分第二片幸運草要接第三片幸運草的地方, 重新打. 因為打熟了所以這部分重打多花了一晚上. 自此之後編織順利直到身體部分完成.
After taking the photos, I was ready to continue knitting and found that I knitted 7 rounds instead of 6 for the Cloverleaf pattern! So I ripped out 4 repeats and reknitted as fast as I could and the knitting went on smoothly to the end of the body part.
身體部分完成 (正面)
Body of the cardigan (front)
身體部分完成 (背面)
Body of the cardigan (back)
下襬羅紋邊
Ribbing
幸運草模樣編
Cloverleaf pattern
就這樣打完了在室內拍照後, 剛好天氣好洗拿到外面去拍, 拍了結果發現: 幸運掉二部分最後一片之後現的顏色明顯變白!
The knitting was done indoor and mostly at night so I took it outdoor to take the final picture for the body part and was terrified by what I saw: there was a section at the top of the knitting distinguishly paler than the bottom!
上面明顯有一截比較白
Very visible color difference under natural light
這三顆仔細看上面那一顆真的比較白
The ball on top's really paler after a second look
惶恐之餘把毛線掛牌拿出來看, 發現一包裡面竟然有兩個不同缸號的線!! 更慘的是, 比較白的數量比較多! 我趕緊打電話去士林毛線超市問, 老闆問也不問是啥線就說有貨可以換, 在我再三堅持下才問我是多少錢一磅的甚麼線, 又沒問顏色, 還是我自己報上, 他還是說有得換沒問題.
I went to check the label bands and confirmed that the yarn shop packed yarn from different lots in one bag! What's worse is that most of the balls left were of the paler lot. I called the shop and the owner said they could be replaced, without even asking which kind and color of the yarn. I did tell him the details and he assured me there were stock in store for replacement.
今天早上趕緊去士林毛線超市換線. 到了那裏, 店裡小姐說那組線, 好像都剩比較白的那缸, 讓我當場很想抓狂, 說你們老闆保證有得換, 我幫人測織衣服打到一半要拆掉重打嗎? 我已經進度落後大家都在等我, 再說架上一包包不就應該是同缸號的才能包一起嗎? 小姐說應該是客人自己拿單球的線然後又自己包回去才會這樣, 毛線這麼貴他們店家不可能把不同缸號的包一包啦. 沒打的線都換過來了, 那球不小心打到的不給換, 得要再花錢買一顆, 也沒折扣. 我是不想吵, 也盡量站在店家立場想, 我不是那種喜歡佔便宜的人, 如果是我自己沒看清楚亂拿打了還要回來硬ㄠ店家免費換那是我不對, 但那包毛線外袋整齊漂亮, 明明就是沒拆過的樣子, 再說, 打印上去的缸號 208 和 209 看起來很像, 就是 209 的 9 左下應該是空的, 它卻有點印子, 看起來就像 8. 所以我認為這是店家的問題, 不是客人弄的. 我只是覺得這麼大間歷史悠久有名的店, 處理這一顆線的問題應該可以更大方聰明點, 當然你可以說我這客人小氣, 一顆純美麗諾毛線不過 180, 但奇蒙子老實講不會太好啦, 尤其如果碰到其它比較厲害的客人, 就不知道會怎麼樣了.
This morning I went to the shop fro replacement and learned that the stock they have of the yarn I bought were all of the paler lot. I was really going crazy and told her the owner kind of ignored the information about the yarn and assured me replacement and that I was test knitting on a schedule which I was already very late. Besides, isn't the yarn bagged should be of the same lot? The lady in the shop said it might be the doing of some customer who likes to pick the yarn from the packed bags and put the odd balls back together again and reseal it, for the yarn I bought wasn't cheap and they (the shop) wouldn't do such a careless thing. Luckily, after rummaging through the bags we found enough balls for my replacement. They let me replace the 5 unknitted balls but not the 1 ball I accidentally knitted (because of their carelessness), so I had to pay for another ball, without any discount. I'm not a person who likes to take advantage of the others. If I were the one who picked from different bags, knitted the yarn, came back and forced the shop for replacement, then shame on me. I tell you that the yarn bag was intact, not a sign of being opened and resealed. Moreover, the lot number printed on the label was really blurred, the 9 in the number 209 was kind of smudged and looked like an 8 in the 208 lot I wanted. This is why I think it's the shop's responsibility. I just thought they could have handle the matter of my 1 ball of accidentally knitted yarn much better. You can always say that I'm a stingy customer for it's only NTD 180 a ball (about USD 5.62), but their customer service policy really sucks! And this is probably the largest and most famous yarn shop in Taipei, and it has been in the business for over 30 years!
抱怨了這麼多毛線的事, 要來說說打這件外套到目前為止的心得. 這是我第一次幫人測織毛衣, 主要就是要幫設計者看織圖寫得如何, 給建議, 我不是甚麼厲害的編織者, 我想我提出來的建議其它的測織者應該也都提過了, 只是很高興受邀參與這樣的事. 這件毛衣的打法跟一般的很不同, 不需要縫脇邊和袖子, 扣洞邊的打法我想很多人沒試過, 我也只玩過一次, 讓你們看照片猜猜看怎麼打的. 打毛線就是要好玩有趣還可以學點新花招, 真是很不錯的. 這件外套很好打, 不難, 樣式又好看, 附上 Marie-Adeline 自己的打的成品部落格 po 文和照片, 給大家看一下:
Un peu de chance 開襟外套 po 文一
Un peu de chance 開襟外套 po 文二
Un peu de chance 開襟外套 po 文三
Enough compliants about the yarn, now somethings to share on test knitting the cardigan. This is the first time I test knit a cardigan, I'm not a superb knitter and the suggestions I made regarding the pattern I am sure the other test knitter must have also proposed. But I still feel honored and exhilerated to be invited to participate in this project. This cardigan is not knitted in the usual way, it requires no seaming and the making of the button band is really exiciting. I've only tried that technique once, I'll let you look at the pictures and guess how it is going to be made. Knitting is all about fun and learning new things. The garment itself is easy to knit but with a lot of style and the end result beautiful. Here are some links to Marie-Adeline's original version of the cardigan:
Un peu de chance Cardigan posting 1
Un peu de chance Cardigan posting 2
Un peu de chance Cardigan posting 3
