Drops 106-3 Cardigan Finished

And in only 2 weeks!

 

The back:

And unbuttoned:

Pattern: ‘DROPS jacket with ¾ sleeves and textured hem in “Muskat”‘ (DROPS 106-3, from Garnstudio)

Yarn: DROPS Muskat in color 8 (off-white); 8 skeins, purchased from NordicMart.

Size: S, but I added 4 extra stitches to the body.

Modifications: Other than the extra stitches and changing the bobbles to smaller knots, none.

This was a great pattern, and it was really pretty fast and easy to knit. The body is knit in one piece to the underarms, and the button bands are knit in garter stitch as you go, so there’s no need to pick up any stitches. The length of the cardigan and sleeves were fine for me, so I didn’t need to adjust the length at all.

I didn’t have any problems with the pattern at all – I found it very clear and well-written. (Note: The English translation of the pattern is in British English, so the measurements are metric.) I really like how the DROPS patterns have a lot of visual detail, but are still fairly easy to knit.

I used the recommended yarn – Muskat – which is 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton, DK weight. This was the first time I’ve used Garnstudio/DROPS yarn. I’ve never used a mercerized cotton yarn before, so I don’t have anything to compare it to–but I liked it, and it was very economical (about $25 to make the cardigan). It has a beautiful sheen, and a nice feel to the garment (although being cotton, it feels a little harsh when knitting with it). Since the yarn is made up of something like 12 strands, it’s rather splitty and you have to be careful not to split or snag it, but that’s true of any similar yarn. I would certainly buy this yarn again for Summer garments.

I had about 14 grams left of the 8th skein (and remember, I added width), so there was plenty of room for comfort. I had purchased 2 extra skeins anyway, just because I wasn’t quite sure which size I’d make, or if I’d need to lengthen the sleeves or arms. And at $2.95 per skein, it wasn’t exactly extravagant insurance. I pretty much always buy an extra skein or two, since I’d rather spend a few extra dollars than worry about running short later when I can’t get the same yarn or dye lot. Plus, I don’t worry about making a bunch of swatches and having to rip them out to use the yarn.

I’m pretty happy with the fit, although for comfort, I would have preferred it to still be about an inch wider. Since I probably will wear it unbuttoned more than buttoned, it doesn’t really matter. The finished chest measurement is 34″ when buttoned, which is about an inch of negative ease. I think zero ease would have still looked quite fitted, but have felt a little more comfortable to wear. If I were making it again, I’d probably knit the medium, but increase at the bust 4 stitches less than indicated for the pattern.

Other details on my Ravelry project.