I bought the kit for this cardigan back in April 2024 and moved it to the top of my knitting queue on 2 May this year. From the beginning I made several mistakes. First, I assumed I had ordered the kit for the largest size. The pattern had three standard sizes, but in the fine print, there were two larger sizes available. I missed these when coming to knit it and simply assumed I would be working the largest size in the pattern. Only when I had finished knitting it did I discover I had, quite appropriately, ordered the second to largest size and had, quite inappropriately, been working instructions for the very largest!
It turned out to be quite a knitting journey. With 404 stitches on the needle and the main body knitted in the round with a steek, it took every extender I had (4) to get a cord that would accommodate the stitches. While I tightened the joiners as hard as I could there was still a slight bump as the stitches passed over, so moving stitches around required care and attention.
Even ensuring the round had no twist in it was an exercise. In the end, after a couple of rows, I pinned it out on the arm of a chair, cut it and rejoined without twists. 
It's been hard to get a handle on the all-in-one-piece method and how to keep the growing garment manageable. I must have succeeded because I put the cardigan on today. It has flaws, but is wearable.
On the plus side, it has a nice hang, I learned a great deal and when it drops below 10C in Adelaide it will be just the ticket.On the downside I struggled at every turn and would have benefited from working it in a class. Some of this is a consequence of not realising I was knitting a size too large. Much of it is because of the complexity of the pattern and more because it's the first time I have knitted a cardigan in the round.
The next issue to arise was the dramatic curl that developed as the band progressed. It drove me mad. A bit of research revealed it was caused by continuous knit stitches without a ribbed border. In 70+ years of knitting I had not learned about this. I damp ironed it flat as best I could, knowing it would eventually have a ribbed band added. Sure enough, when I moved into the main body where there were purl stitches in the pattern, it stopped curling.
Even with the largest cord I could manage, the stitches were not fully stretched out. While this made it easier to move stitches around, it made it difficult to try on without dropping stitches. When I eventually managed it I was horrified at the size. I was not, however, going to undo it and start over!
Two further steeks were added to accommodate sleeves. These gave me less trouble than the shoulder decreases, which were knitted back and forth. I found myself trying to work the mini-cables on the wrong side of the work, and soon worked out to add in a plain row so I could work the pattern from the right side.
Cutting the steeks did not give me palpitations. I've learned to run two rows of machine stitching to give myself confidence.What was awkward was the need for numerous stitch holders once the Fair Isle fronts were done.
Reluctantly I went for sleeves first, as the pattern decreed, trying to work out the length without losing any stitches off the various stitch holders all over the garment.
The resulting sleeve turned out to be too long so I improvised by folding it back. Undoing Fair Isle is not for me!This meant though, that I had to repeat both the mistake and the fix on the other side to keep the sleeves the same.
Around this point I began to doubt I would have enough of the grey wool to finish both the second sleeve and the band all the way around the edge. I weighed and calculated, eventually deciding I would need one more ball, which I sourced and ordered from Queensland. I had enough to pick up the 650 or so stitches around the edge with about a metre to spare, but the rib itself remained to be done.
The extra ball arrived the next day. Each round of rib took me one hour to knit. The pattern suggest 6 rounds. After 4 rows my calculation was that allowing for cast-off, I might have enough for a fifth row. I decided not to risk it, and cast off. I had 10 gms left. The fifth row would just have been possible. I still made the right call.
I had got up early to finish the cast off, planning to wear the cardigan to a lunchtime concert today. I chose the dress and brooch to match the cardigan. Just before leaving I had doubts. I walked out on the balcony and decided I would be far too warm. It is winter in Adelaide, but the cardigan is made for much colder conditions that a windless 18C. I changed it for a lighter silk and alpaca cardigan, and was very pleased to have done so.
The experience, however, drew my attention to the fact that the neckband is too wide so I have now turned in and stitched down the lapels, much like the sleeves. As I write this, wearing the cardigan, the temperature has dropped and I'm cosy.
For me, the big moral of the story is to only buy what I can keep up with. Had I stitched this when it arrived I would have known the size and stitched it accordingly. All the adaptations I have made are to reduce the size. While I'm grateful that I can adapt, and I will wear the cardigan, I'd have saved myself a lot of work had I knitted when I bought it and my intentions fresh in my mind..
