Cardigans E-Book

Maja Karlsson

• Herausgeber: Batsford
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 239

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Dive into a world of warmth, comfort and style with Cardigans, a beautiful book bursting with inspiration that invites seasoned knitters and beginners alike to construct perfect cardigans from a selection of 20 projects.  Dreaming of a stylish summer cardigan? Or snuggling into a plush winter cardigan as cosy as a warm hug? The stunning images in this book will guide you to these projects, and many more besides. Divided into seasons, there are gorgeous, comfortable knits designed to suit every occasion and all types of weather, all using wool or wool mixed yarns. Taking inspiration from Nordic pattern tradition, here are cardigans with a range of construction and design variations: colourwork cardigans, single-coloured cardigans, cardigans with cables or lace details. The patterns are available in a wide range of sizes, from XS to 4XL, and the instructions are offered in differing degrees of difficulty, perfect for novice and expert knitters alike. This book also includes essential knitting tutorials for various aspects of design and technique.  Whether you're seeking to express your personal style, make unique, handmade gifts, or embark on a cosy new craft, Cardigans is the ultimate guide to creating a wardrobe full of knitted treasures, stitch by stitch. So, pick up your needles, unravel your yarn and get comfortable as you craft the cardigans of your dreams. 

Leseprobe

Contents

Foreword

About cardigans

A few things to keep in mind

Spring

Spring Laundry

Prima

Reed

Mirage

Summer

Midsummer

Dahlia

Hortensia

Fleur-de-lis

Autumn

Martall

Sundborn

Novel

Legacy

Sisterhood

Leora

Winter

Wreath

Christmas in Bergslagen

Jewellery

Skathi

Silhouette

Auntie’s Cardigan

Knitting School

Index + Yarns used in the book

Foreword

Is there a cardigan for every occasion? I want to believe there is! Cardigans are like loyal friends: they’re there as the seasons shift and the holidays come and go. The everyday cardigan is as important as a cardigan worn for special occasions. Perhaps even more important. It carries us through life – offers warmth when we’re cold and embraces us when we need comfort.

Sometimes we need reliability – something to set the compass by. The cardigan can be such a thing. Something consistent in all the fickleness.

I have often worn cardigans when I’ve been travelling around the world. It is like bringing a little bit of home. I have felt equipped and strengthened. I have also wrapped a cardigan around me when I’ve been worrying about things both big and small. I’ve worn cardigans to parties and other occasions. I’ve been moved and filled with joy – all dressed in a cardigan.

As a knitter you can always create new cardigans for any occasion. It feels promising to cast on when you know that the cardigan will be made for something special. And isn’t it a gift to be able to knit your own dream cardigan? Everyday cardigans, special-occasion cardigans, gardening cardigans, travel cardigans, work cardigans, bridal cardigans and Christmas cardigans, the possibilities are endless.

And now a new adventure is about to begin as we explore a year of cardigans, all inspired by the different places we will visit in these pages. In the spring, we’ll travel to Stora Skuggan on north Djurgården, the royal game park outside Stockholm, where the wood anemones have begun to emerge and the king’s sheep are grazing, just as they have done for hundreds of years. On a warm summer evening, we will go for a slow rowing trip in the archipelago where we will arrive in a small bay at Ljusterö. Here we can marvel at the gorgeous colours of a dahlia garden in full bloom – the flower beds are full of so many beautiful colours. In the autumn we will go out into the forest and to a small fisherman’s cottage in Undal, where we can pick mushrooms and gather cones and leaves: a little bit of all the good and beautiful things that the forest has to offer. Then, when winter arrives, we will visit Lilla Hyttnäs in Sundborn and take in the magical atmosphere that Karin and Carl Larsson created together. I recommend looking at Karin’s textiles extra carefully – they never fail to inspire me. Finally, we will celebrate Christmas in Siggebohyttan’s miner’s estate in Bergslagen which is one of the most beautiful places I know.

I hope you will enjoy this book and that the cardigans you make will be worn and saved – to the very last thread.

Warmest regards from Maja, Arvika, May 2022

About cardigans

The Swedish word for cardigan, kofta, comes from Persian’s kaftan, meaning a long, open robe, and the word can be traced back in Swedish to the 16th century. Sometimes the word koft has also been used, such as in epistle no. 63 by Carl Michael Bellman:

‘… Se där dansar Flickan,

I sin rosenröda Koft and Kiol …’

‘… See the girl there,

dancing in her rosy-red blouse and skirt …’

I have also encountered the Finnish Swedish expression buttoned jumper, and of course the English cardigan, which is also used in the Swedish language. Did you know that it was the seventh earl of Cardigan, James Thomas Brudenell (1797–1868), who gave his name to the garment? Around that time the cardigan was a knitted military jacket made from wool, with edges made from fur.

In the Nordic countries, the cardigan has a special place among knitted garments. In Norway, for example, they celebrate cardigan airing day on 15 October every year – a day when those who want can hang their cardigans out to air, so that the neighbourhood can enjoy their gorgeous colours. And wouldn’t it be hard to make it through the year without a cardigan within reach? Convenient, easy to wear and perfect for an evening out whatever the temperature. You can put it on whenever it’s needed. It is also perfect for embellishing with different kinds of patterns which is something we like to do in Scandinavia. Our rich pattern traditions have defined our way of knitting cardigans, both aesthetically and practically since cardigans knitted with multiple colours are extra warm, solid and durable. This we can see in places such as Hälsningland, where the colourwork cardigan is included as part of the traditional costume.

In this book subtle cardigans sit side by side with bolder ones. It has been important for me to have it this way, since both versions are needed in life. Therefore, you can find basic cardigans here such as Reed or Silhouette, but also the festive occasion cardigan Dahlia and the Christmas cardigan, Wreath. If you have never knitted a cardigan before you can start with the beginner cardigan, Prima. If you want to celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage, I recommend Sisterhood. Are you thirsty for a challenge? Why not try Legacy – a cardigan that is knitted in the round according to Norwegian principles and then cut open both at the front and at the armholes. Or perhaps you are dreaming of a warming Icelandic cardigan – if so, you should go for Sundborn, the cardigan on the cover of this book. The list is long, and I hope that you will find something that is suitable for you.

In this book are cardigans that are knitted from the top and from the bottom. Many of them are knitted in the round and then cut open. Some are decorated with colourwork sections, others with lace and cables. My hope is that you will discover new techniques and dare to challenge yourself by trying out different methods and constructions. I can particularly recommend the clever button band on the Novel cardigan as well as having a go at adding your own monogram and date to Auntie’s Cardigan.

So, without further ado it’s time to pick colours, wind the yarn and cast on. My warmest good luck with your cardigan knitting journey!

Spring is both an end and a beginning. With the milder weather, greenery begins to bud. Everything begins afresh and takes on a new shape.

And it’s the same thing every spring: at this time of the year I always want to knit cardigans in calm tones. Perhaps my vision for colour comes to life gradually after the winter rest. Eventually I add stronger colours like small islands in bloom among the grey. I start cautiously. One step at a time. As if I were walking along a sun-warmed gravel road and suddenly spotted the first coltsfoot of the year.

When the spring flowers bloom, I take out my yellow glass vase and pick lots of wood anemones. We drink coffee on the veranda, clean out the flower beds and enjoy watching the little lambs that jump around in the pasture. The migrating birds return and everything feels new.

Soon, nature explodes in the most beautiful colours. My heart grows with happiness while my cardigan patterns slowly shift in colour. Welcome dear spring!