I haven't knitted a cardigan in a very long time. The Zakkuri Cardigan by Noriko Ichikawa was a great, easy pattern to dip my toes back into cardigan knitting and also remind myself how not to row-out (see here for my favorite blog post about this).
Pattern
Pattern link: Zakkuri Cardigan by Noriko Ichikawa.
This pattern was well written and very easy to follow. This is also the first time I've done a button band in at least 10 years and I found the instructions very clear. Honestly, what took the longest was acquiring the buttons. Unfortunately, even though I labored over the button decision for weeks, I'm still not happy with the buttons I chose. I'm thinking of swapping them out for either a brown/tortoise style button or pure white.
Yarn
The yarn I used is Cascade 220 in Silver Gray. Typically, this yarn is such a good choice -- it's 100% wool, is affordable, and holds up really well. I stand by that, but I'm wondering if for this particular cardigan I should have picked something with even more structure (in general, this yarn does hold its shape pretty well). The cardigan itself is heavy, and I find that its own weight pulls the collar a little too much for me. The vibe is already definitely cozy, but it feels almost (and I hate this word) sloppy. For example, I don't feel super comfortable wearing this to my very casual work (though it would probably be fine).
Final Thoughts
Despite these two minor issues I have with the final product, I overall think this a great pattern and knit. I love the rolled hems, the deep raglan sleeves, and the ribbing. I might tinker a bit with the color and change out the buttons, and I think I'll have a more-often wearable piece.
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