Knitting

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Knitterly Brilliance: How to Turn a Shawl Pattern into a Cardigan

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turn a shawl knitting pattern into a sweaterI love a sweater that is almost like a blanket. Something that’s big and warm and cuddly, but of course that looks nice, too. Maybe a blanket with sleeves would be my dream garment.

And while I’ve knit some things like that, an even better idea might be to take a gorgeous shawl and turn it into a sweater. Jill Draper did just that — using her own stunning yarn — to make a cardigan version of Gudrun Johnson’s Handsel shawl.

She talked through how she made the changes, so that you might apply them to your favorite giant shawl pattern to make your own shawl sweater, on the Mason-Dixon Knitting blog.

It’s really clever but not all that difficult, and the results are beautiful and definitely worth the math involved.

Would you ever turn a shawl into a sweater? I’m thinking hard about it now!

[Photo via Mason-Dixon Knitting.]

 

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

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Have you read?

Vintage Knitted Coat Pattern PDF – Pembroke Coat

Oh, this one has proper old-Hollywood winter charm.

The Pembroke Coat is a vintage knitted coat pattern that instantly made me think of crisp winter walks, leather gloves, polished boots, and the sort of coat your grandmother would have casually worn while looking impossibly elegant. It has that beautiful longline shape, a classic collar, button front, sleeve tabs, pockets, and a smart plaid-style design that gives it such a tailored finish.

This is not a quick “knit it while watching one movie” sort of project — and honestly, that is part of the appeal. The Pembroke Coat is one for knitters who love a satisfying vintage knitting pattern with a proper garment construction feel. The updated PDF includes the original vintage reference image along with a modern mockup, which makes it much easier to picture how this coat could look in today’s wardrobe.

I especially love that this pattern still feels wearable. Made in grey, camel, forest green, burgundy, or navy, it would be a gorgeous handmade winter coat with that timeless “where did you get that?” look.

As with most vintage patterns, I’d recommend reading through the instructions first, checking your gauge carefully, and being prepared to make small adjustments for fit and modern yarn substitutions. But for confident knitters who enjoy heirloom-style projects, this is a really lovely one to add to the queue.

You can find the Vintage Knitted Coat Pattern PDF in the CraftGossipStore on Etsy.