Is it just me, or is Sarah Hatton designing superb knits these days? Her past few books of patterns have been wearable, modern and stylish! Her book, Rowan Loves Softknit & Handknit Cotton is a particular favorite of mine:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/rowan-loves-softknit--handknit-cotton
I have been sulking over the discontinuation of Rowan’s Calmer cotton yarn, the softest cotton I have ever had the pleasure to knit with:
But when I saw the “Karen Cardigan” in Rowan Loves Softknit & Handknit Cotton I knew I had to give Rowan’s Softknit Cotton a chance:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/karen-cardigan
This pattern, "Karen" knitted up in a few weeks, and was fun and easy to follow. I chose the bright red color to compliment my dress, which needed a matching cardigan to tone it down for work:
If you want to ensure a really good fit at the waist, I recommend casting on the smallest size and then adding extra increases for the bust, as I did:
My only complaint with this pattern is that you are asked to knit the button bands separately and sew them on at the end. Not only is this supremely boring, but it is tricky to ensure that your button holes line up exactly when you are easing in a buttonhole band. I would recommend instead just casting on five extra stitches at each edge of the fronts and knitting them in moss stitch as one fully-fashioned piece, à la Kim Hargreaves. That way you don't need to knit extra bands later, and your buttonholes will line up evenly. Otherwise, I really found this an enjoyable knit.
Rowan Softknit Cotton is a nice, squishy yarn that feels good in the hands. The addition of 8% nylon polyamide fiber into the cotton makes it much easier on the hands, so I did not experience any pain while knitting. However, it is not an ideal replacement for Calmer yarn for me. Whereas projects knit in Calmer have a beautiful drape, Softknit Cotton is a rounder yarn and so produces a stiffer fabric.
Here is a cardigan, Sherry by Kim Hargreaves, which I knitted in Rowan Calmer:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/yarnstylist/sherry
Do you see the lovely, loose drape on the body this fabric achieves?
The Softknit Cotton, by contrast, is more buoyant and thick-textured:
When comparing the two yarns, I have come to the conclusion that whereas Calmer was ideal for pullovers and tank tops, its drape was not always good for cardigans, which need to hold their shape. If I were to knit the pattern “Sherry” again, I would actually knit it in the stiffer Softknit Cotton. But I love my Calmer in pullovers or cardigans I wear like blouses, as in my “Cherry” sweater:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/yarnstylist/cherry
Of course, Calmer was discontinued long ago, but that doesn’t mean I don’t lurk around on the internet, seeking pre-owned yarn lots. Actually, I just snapped up 7 balls of Calmer in turquoise for a bargain price, thereby violating my own New Year’s resolution to follow a yarn diet only three days after it began! Hmmm. This is embarrassing. Must redouble my efforts to knit from stash…….