Pattern: Oslo Cardigan by Seamwork

It’s been a pretty strange winter, weather-wise. An overly warm fall turned into a very mild November. And then all of a sudden, the snow rolled in by mid-December, after what seemed to be spring-like temperatures. By the time Christmas and New Years hit, we were plummeting into single digit and negative temperatures. January in New England began to feel like Minnesota. Lucky for me that I had already completed this project – a new cardigan that I can wrap myself in on those bitter cold days.

This was my second Seamwork pattern and again I was amazed by how fast I was able to sew this project up. I used a fairly thin sweater knit fabric that I had envisioned would be perfect for a large cardigan just like this one. The pattern lived up to most of my expectations, however I was surprised at how huge it ended up being, even making the XS size. I even tried to take the shoulders in a bit so they didn’t droop down so much, but it still ended up a bit too large in that area.

I did really like the cuff-finish on the sleeves. Since I don’t have a top-stitch machine, I always find that on my knit tops the sleeve hem is always the worst part of the garment. I’ve tried stretch stitches and zig-zags, but it still always feels slightly too stiff at the hem. These cuffs, since I used the serger to sew them on, had just the right amount of give in them. No hemming needed.

For a fast project, this sweater worked out well. And I’ve even been keeping it at work for days when I need an extra layer in the office. Especially this month…brrrrr.

I would recommend the pattern as I really like the look of this cardigan. My only advice would be to pay attention to the fit of the shoulders. If I make this again, I will definitely adjust.

What have you been making to combat the cold weather?