My latest knit is a cardigan from a 1940 pattern and I’m kind of in love with it!
The pattern name is Curlicute. Which is adorable, but also a play on words for the original yarn the pattern recommended, Bucilla Curlicue, a mohair and wool blend.
Obviously I changed it to long sleeves, because a short-sleeved worsted weight cardigan just makes no sense where I live.
I changed the shape of the front of the cardigan to be a gradual v-neck. I like how it looks with collared blouses on my Bestway stranded cardigan, so I did the same thing. Instead of crocheting the button band like in the pattern, I knit it separately. I have several 40s patterns with crocheted bands and I admit it’s not my favorite look. I thought I’d try it on this one but as I suspected didn’t really like it, so I swapped it for a knitted band style that was also popular in 40s patterns. The band itself is just (k1, p1) over 8 stitches, with the first stitch slipped purlwise on the right side for a nice smooth edge.
My trick to getting the band the perfect length: I knit about 3/4 of it, sew most of it onto the cardigan, then eyeball it and sew an inch or two at a time as I finish knitting it. (Make sure to stretch it slightly as you sew it so it doesn’t look floppy.)
The pattern gauge is 3.5 stitches per inch, but I knit it at 4.5 spi and then blocked it aggressively to open up the ribbed stitch pattern. If you like the traveling ribs more pronounced you could block it lighter. I wanted a trim look so I knit it with about 2 inches of negative ease at my bust. (I don’t recommend this if you plan to wear it buttoned up a lot, or you’ll get gaping over your girls!)
I always wet block my knitted garments. I knew from swatching that my gauge would change a lot after blocking, even if during knitting it looked like I was knitting it for one of my 7-year-old nieces.
I like how the ribs travel across the back and the sleeves although the sea of red was blinding on camera.
Thanks to Rochelle for helping me choose buttons. These are translucent red vintage buttons with rhinestones in the center. Love them!
I have desperately needed a well-fitting, basic red cardigan forever. So glad to cross this off my list because I already know it goes with eeeeverything!
Caffy Bundy says
Beautiful! I have nearly finished my cardigan… seriously, anything I ever knit it down to YOU!!
Been looking at this wet blocking, it does look like the way forward.
What do you think of this book? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1405368039/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
Thanks my lovely, much love and respect…
Bundana x
Tasha says
I’ve never heard of that one specifically, but in general I think any book with lots of basics is good to have on your bookshelf! 🙂
Looking forward to seeing your cardigan!
agirlinwinter says
Oh gosh, that’s lovely! I love the colour and the style. I wish I was a good as knitter as you (even though I’ve been knitting forever).
Michelle says
Those buttons are a perfect choice! Red is definitely your color. Your whole look is really great here.
Dina@VintageAdvantage says
As per usual, amazing!! I love the color…looks great on you.
Those buttons were a great choice…too cute 🙂
Eva says
I don’t get the thing about short sleeved wool cardigans either. It’s lovely.
Hadley Makes says
Love it! Gorgeous! Where did you find those buttons?
Tasha says
On Etsy, I’ve found some good vintage button sets and lots there.
Rachel Proffitt says
Looks fabulous 🙂 But then, I love red 😉 I also love your recreation of the pattern cover 😀
Miss Crayola Creepy says
I don’t know a thing about knitting, but I do know that your cardigan is to die for! That will be a wardrobe staple for sure!
Sarah Anne says
Oh my goodness I love that cardigan!! I wish I knew how to knit because I’d definitely make myself one.
oklyous says
A very nice result!
I never button up my cardigans. ever.
So a lot of them are actually too small I guess..
I got one cardigan I can close, but I never wear it, for that reason.
I have a vintage knitting book, and most of the patterns are with short sleeves, what’s up with that?! Won’t do in my climate either. But I am not a good enough knitter to change it from short to long to short sleeves. sadly.
Rochelle New says
Tasha it looks awesome!!! I LOVE the buttons. They give just the perfect amount of pizzazz to the sweater. One of these days I’ll be able to knit well enough to make a sweater, but until then I’ll just bookmark your pattern for the future 🙂
Moe says
I love the color! That turned out really nicely. I can see why it’s your new favorite!
Lucys Lounge says
you made a beautiful cardigan.
Anthea says
Amazing! I love the color! You’re so productive lately! I really like what you’ve made so far!
Rebecca Wagner says
Beautiful 🙂 The buttons are adorable
CatMoJo says
Gorgeous! And, the ideal body length! Hits the hips at JUST the right place. All of my red cardigans are too long & end up looking frumpy with pretty much anything. How long start-to-finish did it take you? I’m thinking of starting a cardigan myself, but am a treacherously slow knitter and frequently abandon projects in favor of more instant gratification.
Tasha says
It took me about 5 weeks, without knitting anything else between (but also doing a good bit of sewing in there too). If you fear you might lose interest, doing something in a heavier weight yarn like worsted weight will go a lot faster. 🙂
Stephanie Lynn says
Love it! I’ve been in such a knitting mood lately. I really must buy some yarn for a new project!
garofit says
Love the oblique direction of that pattern!
Jessica Cangiano says
So, so immensely lovely! I adore the length, colour (it’s both eye-catchingly punchy and endlessly versatile, as far as reds go, at the same time), and ribbing. Stellar work, dear Tasha – you look so gorgeous in your new crimson cardi.
♥ Jessica
Annabelle says
Great cardigan, I love it! The changes you made were all so perfect, especially choosing to make the sweater more trim.
Sew Savory says
I am in awe of your skills! As a beginner knitter, I can only hope to be half as good as you. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips. It’s all appreciated.
Nettie says
WOW! This is so beautiful!! You have the best taste in knits! LOL I’ve downloaded the pattern for my ever growing vintage knit queue :o) Thanks for sharing it with us!
Melissa B. says
I am in awe of you! I took a 3-class knitting course years ago, and quit after the second class! I don’t know what I like best about your outfit – the cardigan, the blouse, the trousers, or all three on you! Bravo!
Mid Century Pink says
LOVE!!! I can’t believe the things you can make! You are so talented!!
Helen Mae says
I love it! The original pattern is nice and I’ll be snagging that to have a go at but your version is wonderful too. I’d actually prefer to knit one more like yours as the short sleeves aren’t really appropriate to the weather where I live either, but I haven’t yet got to the stage of changing patterns!
Tickety Boo Tupney - A Dash OF Worcester Sauce. says
Uh oh, another knitted to add to my ever growing ‘to knit’ list! 🙂
I must say your new red cardigan is rather lovely- perfect T x
Tickety Boo Tupney - A Dash OF Worcester Sauce. says
Uh oh, another knitted to add to my ever growing ‘to knit’ list! 🙂
I must say your new red cardigan is rather lovely- perfect T x
Erika says
Beautiful! Love the colour, the ribbed pattern, the fit, it’s all gorgeous! A perfect cardigan, simply. Really also like the changes you made to the original pattern, I’m sure you’ll get a lot more wear out of it this way (never really understood short-sleeved cardigans, as pretty as they may be. But then I’m cold even during summer).
Ok, I really, really want to learn how to knit now…
Tasha says
You should definitely learn! ;D
Erika says
I will! Hmm, looking at my sewing list, maybe next year… 😉 Seriously, I might sign up for a class or knitting circle, as I’m not sure I’ll be able to learn it through books or youtube. Sewing comes naturally for me, but even in home-ec, knitting and crocheting was a much less given for me. But I adore cardigans and wear them on a daily basis, so it really makes no sense to not knit them myself!
I promise, before next summer (giving myself lot’s of time here…) I will have knitted a cardigan!
Lydia McKenzie-Stephens says
Ooh, I might have to try this out for myself after I’ve finished my current knitting project!
Incendiary Blonde says
Lovely! Great colour on you and I like the blingy buttons!
Shelly says
I don’t think you can go past a basic red cardigan. It looks awesome! I love the changes you made to sleeve length and bands. I can only wish I was that clever.
LandGirl1980 says
Awesome!!!!!!!!!! So envious I have turned green!
Vix says
I’m blown away by your skills. That’s one gorgeous cardi and you are even more gorgeous than the model on the pattern. x
Gail says
That is cute! And the color looks fantastic on you!
LilliansEnsembles says
Love your site, just found you. I am a fellow knitter and sewer and love the level of your work and inspiration. Look forward to further posts and contact.
Brittany_Va-VoomVintage says
Your knitting skills always impress me!! I love this whole outfit- very cute and comfy.
Bobbi says
It looks great! The color is amazing on you. Thank you for sharing the pattern. How did you adjust the shoulders?
Tasha says
Thanks! Though I’m not exactly sure what you mean, do you mean the different neckline?
zilredloh says
It’s such a lovely cardigan, and the buttons were worth the wait. 🙂
I love that you have posed just the same as the model in a side by side shot! I have to admit, I love yours more than the original. Having the cables more open makes yours look a bit more chic and tailored vs. the original that seems to be a bit “cluttered”.
Doing that extra slip stitch is a must! I wish I knew about this trick a year ago, but now that I know about it all of my finishing looks much more tidy as a result.
Tasha says
Thanks everyone! ♥
RetroGran says
Fantastic! I am so envious of you knitting ladies.
Red is definitely your color, btw. You look fabulous!
Meg the Grand says
Red is magnificent on you! Love the choice of buttons, and I loved hearing how you adjusted the pattern to fit your needs. Since I’m still learning all of these fabulous aspects of knitting, it’s really splendid to see how a master knitter makes such awesome pieces 🙂 Well done!
Kate-Em says
What a gorgeous knit! Really interesting to read how you altered the pattern.
Jennifer Walker says
Super cute! What type of yarn did you use?
rosesontoast.com says
Lovely! Might be something for the Tosh DK that I’ve got waiting around for that perfect cardigan pattern.
ShanniLoves says
It looks great, Love the buttons!
Dottie says
This looks terrific! You are making me jones to pick up my knitting needles!
theivoryneedles says
It turned out so so beautiful! I love your final button choice!
<3 Sydney
Amanda M. says
The sweater looks amazing! And I love how you mimicked the pattern model’s pose.
wardrobeexperience says
adorable cardi! it looks great on you!!!
Anna says
This is so so lovely, and thank you for sharing the pattern! I’m going to try to convert it to a pullover! love your blog, Anna
Trollspöet says
what a lovely cardigan! your knitting skills are impressive and the band tip is great!
Bridget says
That’s a stunning sweater, I love it in red! I’m attempting to knit this myself in a dark brown sport weight yarn, but am flummoxed by the decreases; can’t seem to do them without completely messing up the pattern. Is there a trick to doing this or am I just being incredibly thick? I’m an experienced knitter but this one has me perplexed. I’m trying to knit in the round, if that makes a difference. Thanks for any help you can give 🙂
Tasha says
Sorry I missed this comment until now, Bridget!
Don’t worry too much about keeping the edges in pattern, it *is* pretty difficult, so just do the best you can. The way I think of it is I think of the pattern radiating out correctly from the center of the body and as it gets to the edge, I think about what stitch do I need to be looking at next in the pattern, so I make my decrease try and mirror that. With the cables, you just eventually have to stop working them when you don’t have enough stitches at the edge. I had to just kind of wing it. 🙂
Bridget says
Thanks for your response, Tasha. Alas, this cardi became one of my many ‘started but never finished’ projects. I have an acute case of Project Commitment Phobia 🙁 I’ll get back to it, though. At the moment, I’m nearing the completion of a 1926 crocheted bedspread for my “new” 1930s bed. My mind is boggling at the thought I will actually FINISH one of my projects!
NostalgicGirl says
So lovely!This is my next project on my “to knit-list”!I’m kind of a beginner so I wonder if there are any decreases and such I must keep in mind when doing the long sleeved version..?Also, I’m not so sure what a “twisted row” means..?Well, practice makes perfect and I have decided that I’m going to the the curlicute one – no matter how long it takes! 🙂
Thanks for a wonderful blog!
Tasha says
You can do it! 🙂 The “Sample of Stitch Pattern” section shows the rows that are repeated to create the pattern. If you look you’ll see the 5th and 13th rows are dubbed “twist” rows, hich really just means you work a cable that row… and even if you’ve never done them, it gives you the instructions so don’t worry.
The sleeves (and the body for that matter) are worked from the bottom up, so you’ll be increasing in the sleeves from the wrist to the armpit, and then binding off some armhole stitches and shaping the sleeve cap with decreases. You’re kind of free to choose whatever increase and decrease you like! These pages might help:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/decreases
Stephanie says
Amazing and beautiful! As a practically brand new knitter (I just finished my first project instead of just doing test swatches) I’m blown away and intimidated… one of these days I’ll get past just k/p and straight lines. 🙂
Vera says
So beautiful! How much would you charge to make one for me? : )
Lisa says
OK, this is going on my list immediately! I might have to make it in red too…
ladymac111 says
(old post is old…) what a cute cardigan! great classic style. I did try to find this on Ravelry but it looks like it’s not in the database, would you mind if I added it and linked back to this post as the source?
Tasha says
Thanks! I may have added it way back when but I don’t recall, so perhaps it was removed if so. Go for it!
ladymac111 says
Great, it’s up now! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/curlicute
I did my best to hunt down the information but if you see that anything’s missing definitely feel free to edit it, or let me know and I’ll edit.
Thanks again for sharing this, it’s such a cute sweater and I have an ambition to make it myself someday.
Tasha says
Awesome! I’ve added my project to it. Thanks! 😀
Ann says
The sweater is quite lovely. I wish you had shared the sleeve pattern. Sure would’ve loved to make that for my granddaughter. Awesome site you have here.