FO: Merideth

I have finished Merideth from Knitting Off the Axis. The yarn is the ever popular Malabrigo worsted. I really like this cardigan, especially since I made it quite a bit narrower than the smallest size. I trimmed about 4" off of the circumference of the skirt section and about 2" off of the back bodice. I also sewed up about 5" for the underarm seam instead of 4". This sweater is knit side to side, and my gauge was a bit smaller so the cardi is also a bit shorter than the pattern length, which is a good thing. It is comfortably roomy but not really oversized. I also omitted the lower section of the sleeves because I'm not a fan of long sleeves and I really dislike sleeves that hang over my wrists. Even with the shorter sleeves, it's still pretty warm.

I like the way the back looks. It's hard to see in the photo but the bodice actually gathers a bit to fit the narrower skirt section.

FO: Gemma capelet

This is the Gemma capelet from Knitting Off the Axis. The yarn is di.Ve Autumno, which is a merino yarn. I'm not really a capelet person, but I love how this particular one looks and I love how it's constructed. The bottom part is knitted cross-wise. My row gauge was a little finer and I didn't really know exactly what size to make, but I could wrap it around myself as I went along and stop when it felt about the right amount of ease. The top yoke is picked up and knitted upward to the neck, so you can easily adjust the number of stitches and rows to get a good fit. I really like the shoulder shaping because it results in a very crisp and squared look. The collar is nice and fluffy because it is double layered.

I decided to use a seed stitch for the button band instead of the double garter pattern because I wanted a tighter band and one in which I could center the button holes. I used needles 2 sizes smaller for the band to help make it denser. Since I did a seed stitch button band, I went with seed stitches on the collar also instead of ribbing. I also did some increases on the collar at the shoulder lines to make it a bit wider at the bottom. I skipped the cable pattern on the underside and just used stockinette.

I'm hoping I won't feel silly wearing this. I think it looks a bit like something out of Dickens and I should be using a hand muff to go with it. The Other Half thinks it looks like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and something out of Dr. Who.