Good News! One of my favorite Patterns just got a sizing update! So of course I had to try it out in two differnt fabrics. It’s for science.

The Boyfriend Cardigan is the perfect addition to your transitional wardrobe! This open front cardigan features drop shoulders, mid-thigh length, side vents and drop pockets. Choose from either a shawl collar, plain collar or hood. This comfy cardigan will look great with jeans or leggings. This cardi sews up beautifully with knits with drape. Make this in girls and ladies sizes! Now available in sizes
XS-5X with a full bust option and a duster length option.

I love this pattern and have made it several times. Mostly in ponte knit fabrics and thick, double knit. You can read about those here. The pattern was getting a complete size update and I would be participating in that test. I decided now would be the perfect time to try it in some different fabrics I haven’t  used before.  I’ve been really envious of all the cute knitted and crocheted cardigans and sweaters I’ve been seeing a lot of makers post about on Instagram. I still haven’t taught myself to crochet or knit so I decided to look for some loose weave sweater knit to purchase to sew a faux crocheted  one. Just incase that didn’t go as planned, I also looked for some brushed, stretch sweater knit. I found this black and white, loose weave sweater knit and some brushed stretch sweater knit both from Califabrics. When they arrived, I loved them both but  had never sewn with a loose weave sweater knit before. I knew I was going to have to take my time and handle it completely different than I have with any other fabric.

The mottled black and white is a chunky, loose weave sweater knit and the heather teal is a brushed stretch sweater knit. The loose weave was unlike anything I have used before. It almost felt like one of my Granny’s crocheted afghans. It’s heavier and looks like it would be thick but it’s actually see through and quite soft. The brushed sweater knit was pretty similar to most knits I have sewn with just more soft. Almost like a double brushed poly but more stretchy and very drapey.  Here’s a few things I did differently when sewing with both of these cardigans.

The Drape

Because both fabrics are so drastically different from each other, their drape was going to be different. The brushed teal knit has more stretch and recovery, whereas the loose b&w knit has almost no recovery and very little stretch. The brushed one looks to be 1.5 inches longer than the loose weave even though it was not cut that way. They are both the mid-thigh length.  I actually thought it would be the opposite and the loose weave knit would look longer, but that wasn’t the case.

Finishing seams

For the brushed fabric I was able to sew my cardigan together just as the pattern directions say. I finished my seams as I went and didn’t have to worry about it unraveling or fraying. It was very stretchy so I had to be careful not to stretch the seams or they would be wavy. With the loose weave I had to cut the pieces slightly bigger than the pattern and then finish the edges immediately with my serger. I paid special attention to the weave, making sure all the loops were caught and secured with the serger needle and threads.

Hemming

On the brushed fabric I was able to hem the cardigan body and sleeves as I normally do by first pressing with and iron and some steam and sewing it with a twin needle on my regular machine. Hem tape would have helped but it wasn’t necessary.  With the loose weave, I found it would have gone better if I had some clips rather than pins to hold the hem in place. Some wash away hem tape would have helped too but I didn’t have any on hand. I just went really slow and took care to make sure it was getting hemmed properly. For the sleeve hem I found that it kept flipping out because there just wasn’t enough structure and stretch to hold it in place. Also the loose weave made the sleeves feel short. So I ended up making a band for the sleeve. I couldn’t just attach the band though. I needed to keep the sleeve and the band from stretching out too much. To do that I did a basting stitch by hand on the band and the sleeve edge. That way I could kind of gather both those edges up while attaching it with a zig zag stitch, then remover it  after the bands were attached. This really helped the sleeves to keep their shape and not stretch out too much at the wrist.

Top stitching

For the brushed fabric I didn’t bother doing a top stitch once I had put the neckband on. I just steam ironed it a little and it stayed in place. The seams were more chunky for the loose weave cardigan though and I needed to keep them in place. For this reason, I did a top stitch around the neckband. The seam was hidden in the chunky, loose weave so you can’t see it. The seam on the back of the loose weave got a top stitch to hold the seam allowance in place as well.

I have to say I adore both of these cardigans and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I have worn the chunky sweater knit one nearly ever day since it’s completion. The color looks wonderful with everything! The teal one is so light and soft that I will still be able to wear it even after the season warms up. This was a fun little experiment and I’m so glad I decided to buy fabrics I have never used before.

I highly recommend trying this pattern in a sweater knit. I absolutely loved the results and wish I would have tried it sooner rather than waiting for a pattern update.

Good luck in all your sewing endeavors.

Happy sewing,

Koe