Wallis Cardi

Pattern: Wallis Cardigan by Melissa Wehrle, Interweave Knits Summer 2008
Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK, coral
Needles: US 4 and 6

This pattern comes together pretty well. This cardi has just enough feminine details without being too fussy. I like how the pleats on the shoulders and sleeves are done. The finishing on this piece isn’t bad. The biggest problem I had was getting the hooks and eyes to look OK. I ended up using 8 and spacing them just less than 1 inch apart.

If I were to make this again I’d make a few changes. I’m pear shaped. The top is fine, and would probably be too big if I went up a size, but the bottom could be bigger. I’d make a size larger for the bottom and transition to the smaller size for the top. I did block the lower portion to the size larger, but that just helped a little.

There are a few errors in the pattern. Row 43 should be knit the same as for the right front. Otherwise, you’ll get what kind of looks like a twisted stitch.

Also, on the sleeves if you start with a RS knit row you won’t end up the RS for the des row. I’m not sure what the designer intended. Probably knit 4 rows instead of the 3. Or, just start with a WS purl row and knit 3 rows.

On the “Shape cap” portion, after you BO stitches on next two rows it says to work 1 WS row even. Typically, you’d start your BO on a RS row, which means you be working 1 RS row even (as opposed to a WS row as printed) and then start your dec 1 st each end of needle on a WS row.