Smaller needles

I’ve already mentioned that the Neckdown Wrap Cardigan is my first adult-sized cardigan. I expected that there would be a fairly steep learning curve, but didn’t realise quite how that would manifest itself.

Some people read instructions, others prefer to wing it. Some people treat instructions as a prescriptive method to follow, for others they are mere guidelines to be interpreted or ignored according to whimsy. When it comes to knitting, I read instructions, and almost invariably follow them slavishly. When I started knitting this cardigan I read the instructions, bought the two extra sets of dpns that I would need and went through the pattern circling all the numbers applicable to my size. I also highlighted a couple of other instructions that I thought I might miss. I know. Sorry about that.

Yesterday I picked up, as planned, the 214 stitches for the neckband and merrily knit the two garter ridges. As I put the knitting away at the end of the evening I was happy in the knowledge that this morning I only needed to cast off the stitches and the neckband would be done. When I got it out this morning, the neckband looked a bit rubbish. I checked the pattern numbers. Yes, I had picked up the right number of stitches, I had knit the correct number of rows. Just one small problem – I had ignored the instruction (clearly circled in the pattern by me) ‘using the smaller needles’.

On a not un-related subject, today I have been inserting a lifeline, ripping 4 rows back and re-knitting. It looks much better now, particularly since I made the neckband a bit wider as in the photo on the pattern.

In the next exciting instalment: sleeves.