He wore the cardigans during his superb series “Stephen Fry in America” which I watched on BBC’s iPlayer.  They were all colours, and looked such fun.

For those who don’t know, Stephen is a brilliant British actor, writer, comedian, presenter, documentary-maker, egg-head and general all-round Renaissance Man – I could go on and on singing his praises (whoops – I just did!) – the sort of person who makes you proud to be British and who should be put at the top of Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square London instead of Nelson.  “Mr Fry’s Column” sounds pretty good to me.  And his statue would be wearing a – yes, you guessed it – a knitted cardigan – yay!

He also makes you proud to belong to the founding nation for mens cardigans.

And guess what – Stephen also (at the time I’m writing this) has 250,680 followers on Twitter (Twitter is a social media service.  I shall be writing another blog post about it, because I’ve found some great twitters about knitted cardigans) – clearly cardigans rock!

More knitted cardigans articles very soon (and I’m planning another about mens cardigans). If you enjoyed this one, please do bookmark it, won’t you, and also subscribe to my feed by clicking on “RSS” 3rd line from the bottom in the left column.  That way you’ll find out when I post new articles to this site.  Have lots of fun.  Love Katy x

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Then there was the long chunky pink and red cardi that I knitted myself in plain stocking stitch (some people call long chunky knitted cardigans “knitted jackets”).

Long cardigans are so useful for keeping your “derriere” warm in winter.  I knitted it using several threads, from warm brown rusty red through scarlet and cherry to sweet baby pink.

At the end of its life I unravelled the wool to re-use, but I haven’t decided what to make with it yet.  That was such a lovely cardi – I loved snuggling up in it.

My current favourite knitted cardigan I bought about a year ago – there were such *pretty* cardigans in the London shops then !  I should have snapped up a pile of them because I’ve not seen them since.

It’s such a lovely deep brown with mock fur around the neck – it’s so cute!  And there’s a wonderful ruffle around the bottom and at the cuffs and down the front, and gorgeous applique and pretty studs on the front.  Oh – and ribbons attached at the waist. Yummy!

Do you have a favourite cardi that you’d love to tell us about?  Please please write to me about your favourite knitted cardigans – I’d love to publish some of your little stories about them and photos too if you have any.  You can click on “Contact us” at the top of this page to write to me.

If you enjoyed this article please do bookmark it won’t you (you can use the buttons below).  Also, if you click on “RSS” 3rd line from the bottom in the left column you’ll get to know when I add new articles to this knitted cardigans site.  I’ll chat with you again very soon! Love Katy x

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- showing off your sense of colour

- keeping you warm when it’s cold

- staying cooler when it’s warm (because you can undo everything down the front and still look great)

- looking slimmer (if that’s what you want – yo!) because you end up with long vertical lines down the front, which are immediately flattering for most people.

You might like to think of it as a gorgeous palette of long lines.

This is how I do it when I want to have fun and I have a bit of time to myself:

You first lay out on your bed your knitted cardigans, shirts and blouses – anything that opens down the front.  And you also want to lay out any attractive scarves that you’d like to wear, and all your little tops/vests that you can wear for the bottom layer.

You now look for colours that blend or contrast in exciting ways.

At first you want to be open to playing with the colours – mixing and matching them.  At this stage you don’t want to think about practicalities.  Just lay the articles on top of each other so that you can see a band of each item that’s underneath, so that you’re noticing the exciting combinations that are possible.  And you can swap them around a lot.

Remember you’re wanting one little top for the innermost layer for each combination of clothes.

When you’ve got a colour combination that excites you, you put on the little top in that combo for your bottom layer, and then put on the tightest item of clothing – it’s likely to be a shirt of some kind.  Leave the buttons undone .  Then you put on the next tightest, and so on.  You don’t want to make it uncomfortable – it’s at this stage you might have to reject an item or two for comfort reasons.

But beware any chunky cardis when layering, because the chunkier the cardi, the bigger you look.

A lot of the time you might want to put the longest item on last, but often it can look pretty cool to have something shorter on top.

This is just one of the many reasons why I love knitted cardigans rather than sweaters!  If you liked this post, do bookmark this post, won’t you (there’s a bookmark button at the bottom of this post), and subscribe to my feed by clicking on the “RSS” 3rd line from the bottom in the left column.  That way you get to know when I post new articles to this site.  Have fun.  Love Katy x

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At the time of my writing this, most of their ladies cardigans are £20 (2 cardis for £35!), £25 or £35, and their mens cardigans are £20 (or 2 cardis for £35), £25 and £39. The link to their ladies knitted cardigans is here, and the link to their mens knitted cardigans is here. Most of the knitted cardigans are available in a variety of colours. Here are just a few of their lovely ladies cardis – just click on any of them to go straight to its webpage at WoolOvers:

And this is my favorite of the mens cardigans – it has pockets, and there’s a ladies’ version on the same page:

I’ve highlighted WoolOvers beautiful long cardigans at my long cardigans article.

I think you’ll love these cardigans just as much as I do!   Remember to bookmark this page won’t you, and subscribe to my RSS feed (you click on the “RSS” on the 3rd line from the bottom in the left column) to make sure you get to know each time I post a new article to this knitted cardigans website.  Love Katy x

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All the designs are described as “open-front” on the Amazon.com site, though some don’t have any front fastening, so might not count as knitted cardigans by purists (heh, I’m not one of them – if I cut a knitted sweater down the front I call the result a cardi!) and some of them are “wraps”.

Twenty “jackets” to knit in one book is the most I’ve seen yet – just fabulous!

From the product description at Amazon UK:

“This collection of eighteen-plus hand knitted, modern jacket designs is inspired by textiles and cultures from around the globe. A variety of techniques and clearly written instructions gives knitters an opportunity to showcase and expand their skills. Each section focuses on a particular knitting technique, and each garment is accompanied by a beautiful photo and the history or folk lore that illuminates the culture of origin. Projects include easy step-by-step instructions and color technique illustrations. Countries represented include Austria, Germany, England, Canada, United States, China, Japan, Peru, Spain, Norway, Faroe Islands, and Ireland with several variations. Techniques include lace making, cabling, color work, and more.”

Isn’t that just fabulous?!

And from the description at Amazon.com:

“These 20 patterns, ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced, take knitters on a world tour of coats, jackets, and wraps. Inspired by open-front garments and textiles from around the globe [...] these figure-flattering designs bring a contemporary edge to a variety of knitting traditions. Step-by-step instructions and copious photographs illustrate how to use standard stockinette, garter, and cable stitches. More advanced techniques for fanciful lace and colorwork and the history behind beach pattern is also included.”

You can look at some pages of the book at the Amazon.com page, by clicking on the “Search inside this book” link under the picture on the Amazon.com site. But if you’re going to buy at the Amazon UK site please do remember to come back to this page and click on the Amazon UK link below – that means I get a commission if you buy, which helps me to maintain this site.

There are some super pictures in the book.

For the Amazon.com book click on the photo just below.

And for the Amazon.uk book click on the photo below.

This book would make a super gift for a cardi-loving relative or friend, or if they love to knit them.

I’m not the greatest knitter myself (though I try my best!), so if any of you or your friends or relatives create any of these brill cardigans please come back and let us know. And please do send us your pictures – I’d love to print them on this blog!

If you enjoyed this knitted cardigans page, you will please do bookmark it, won’t you, (you can use the bookmark button at the bottom of this post) and also subscribe to my feed by clicking on “RSS” 3rd line from the bottom in the left column.  That way you’ll find out when new articles are posted to this site.  Speak with you soon. Love Katy x

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And guess what – all WoolOvers’ knitted cardigans are machine washable using a wool program – isn’t that so cool?! Make sure that you use a wool-specific detergent and an appropriate spin speed and temperature setting below 40 degrees. If you’d like to look at these cardis at WoolOvers’ site just click on the photo above.

I’m looking around for more really superb knitted cardigans, so do bookmark this site won’t you, and if you subscribe to my feed (by clicking on the “RSS” 3rd line from the bottom in the left column) then you’ll get to know the latest. Love  Katy x

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Change the buttons

I’m a collector of buttons and have a tin of them that I love to look through. If you keep the buttons of any clothes you throw away you can gather a fine collection.  Also one of my local charity (thrift) stores has a button box that I loved to sift through when I was just starting my collection.

The buttons need to fit easily through the button-holes but not slip through too easily or they’ll come undone. If you’ve got a lot of spare buttons then you can sift through your collection and put on one side all the buttons that might look good.  Look for glamorous ones, for example. Then hold each of them to your cardigan to see how it looks.  When you’ve filtered the possibilities down to just a few then try the cardigan on and hold the buttons in front of the cardi to see which one will be best.

If you haven’t got any spare buttons then let your imagination fly.  Think about gorgeous bright colours – what colour buttons do you think would give your cardi the right lift that you’re looking for, or that would look daring (if daring is what you’re aiming for!)? Or you might like to think of different styles of buttons.  Especially look out for glamorous ones. If you visit a store where there’s a good selection then you’re bound to see some that get you going.

You’ll be amazed at how this can transform a knitted cardigan!

Add ribbons – first style

The first tip for using ribbons is for a cardigan that doesn’t easily meet in the middle, or a bolero or shrug that you want to revamp – this is a great one for giving it a new look.

You want two bits of ribbon of the same length, and you attach them to the front edges of the cardigan where the gap is at its narrowest. Make sure that your ribbons are long enough to tie an attractive bow. That looks so-o-o lovely!

Add ribbons – second style

Another way to add ribbons is for a cardi that you can overlap a bit in front. For this you want much longer ribbons, long enough to wrap right around your waist and more, depending on which tying style you want to use: you can tie them at the back, or if you have much longer ribbons then you can if you want wrap them right around you and to the front again, and tie them at the front.

This time you attach them at or near the bottom corners of the cardi. It’s probably best to pin them on with safety pins first, so that you can try them out and see whether you want to attach them higher or lower.

Normally the ribbon attached on the right-hand side will go over the left side of your cardigan and the one on the left will go under the right side of the cardigan.

You’ll find that when you wrap them around you, the back of the cardigan will lift up in order for the two ribbons to meet.  That doesn’t matter – it’s all part of the look, which is just lovely.

I hope you enjoy trying out one or all of these ideas. If you enjoyed reading these tips please do bookmark them using the “BOOKMARK” button below.

And please do subscribe to the RSS feed near the bottom of the left column, and then you’ll know when I’ve added new posts and articles to this Knitted Cardigans blog.  Au revoir – love Katy x

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If you found this post useful please do bookmark it using the “BOOKMARK” button just below won’t you. And please do subscribe to my RSS feed (the 3rd line from the bottom in the left column) so that you’ll know when new items are posted to this knitted cardigans blog.   I look forward to being with you again soon. Love Katy  x

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Please always follow any instructions on the garment or instructions that came with it. If you knitted the cardigan yourself, you’ll want to check the yarn label first for any instructions.

You shouldn’t use biological detergents on wool, angora, cashmere or any other animal fibres – they will damage the garments, which of course are made from biological products. And please don’t use detergents which have as ingredients “bleach” or “bleach activators”. And – of course – don’t use bleach!

Also, I recommend that you avoid washing your knitted cardigans too frequently if they are made of wool, angora or cashmere.

Angora cardigans: should only be hand-washed (not washed in the washing machine). Then leave them to dry on a flat surface.

Cashmere cardigans: cashmere should be kept out of extreme heat and sunlight. Some cashmere cardigans are dry-clean only – you’ll want to check the label for this.

Washing

Preferably use Woolite or a mild soap solution. You can check that any other detergent or powder is suitable for wool by reading the small print. Please don’t use biological detergents. Some detergents have a wool symbol on the package showing that they condition and protect wool garments.

Washing machine: use the wool cycle, and ensure that your washing machine is set to 40 degrees maximum. Then use a gentle spin at about 600rpm (no higher than this). You’ll need to check your washing machine’s wool program – it might require the spin speed to be controlled separately.

Hand wash: wash gently in warm or lukewarm (not hot) soapy water (for example with Woolite or with Lux flakes added). For mohair, use lukewarm (tepid) water.

When rinsing, don’t wring the garment – that would be likely to ruin it.

Rinse in cool water, and very gently squeeze much of the water out.

If you have a spin drier, you can use a gentle spin at about 600rpm (no higher), and a very short spin.

If you don’t have a spin drier, lay the cardigan in a towel, fold the towel around it, and gently press the towel to remove the water.

Drying

Don’t use high temperatures and don’t tumble dry – it could shrink or perhaps even burn a hole in the garment. Instead, after spinning, pull your cardigan gently into shape, and place it so that air can flow around the garment but make sure it is supported, so that it stays in shape. Draping it over a drying horse or laying it on a horizontal shelf made of rails (such as many airer-dryers are made of) is ideal.

If you look after your knitted cardigans carefully you’ll find that they can look wonderful for many years!

Please do bookmark this article using the Bookmark button below, won’t you. Also, you might like to see my blog post “How to wash knitted cardigans – the videos“.   If you subscribe to my RSS feed (click on the “RSS” 3rd line from the bottom in the left column) then you’ll know when new items are added to this blog .  Katy  x

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He and his officers wore fur-trimmed or braided woollen jackets to keep them warm in the harsh Crimean winter – they actually looked very different from today’s knitted cardigans.

The garment we now call the cardigan was worn in the British Isles and France by the 17th century. Hand knitting was common in Ireland and the islands of Scotland, where Aran designs may go back as far as the 9th century, and Fair Isle designs to the 15th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries hand knitting became a widespread industry in the British Isles, and knitted cardigans and sweaters were commonly worn by fishermen and other outdoor workers.

In the 17th century knitting frames were designed and developed, but they were very expensive. Then in the late 18th and early 19th centuries the Industrial Revolution mechanised wool washing, dyeing and spinning, and today most knitted clothes are no longer totally hand-made.

During the 2nd World War (1939-1945) wool was scarce in Britain and a booklet called “Make do and Mend” was put out by the British War Ministry in 1943, encouraging people to knit garments by unpicking old clothes. Probably because of the lack of wool yarn, the British cardigan fashions of that time were typically short and tight. But in America both long and short cardigans were fashionable and long cardigans stayed popular for a long time: Marilyn Monroe famously posed on the beach for her last photo shoot in a long hand knitted cardigan with knitted belt, and possibly nothing else.

Amazon UK book…………………… Amazon.com book

In the 1970s this style made a come-back and it is again popular today.

There’s been a revival of hand knitting in recent years, and globalisation has led to the popularity of authentic designs, yarns and products from native peoples of many countries, which the Fair Trade movement has supported.  Thus we come up to date in this story of knitted cardigans.

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