Hey everyone. I'm indecisive... lol
I want to make myself the most awesome cardigan ever, after Christmas. I've totally been planning on a great Fair Isle and wanting to create my own. Well, now I'm wondering whether a cabled cardigan may be more versatile, as I'm sure I'll want this go with practically everything I own.
So, how difficult is it to create your own cabled cardigan? (Think Central Park Hoodie, only more awesome). Won't it be difficult to ensure the fit? I have pretty much a similar gauge throughout all my stranded work, but different types of cables give really different results...
Let me know your ideas, everyone. What do you think would be the best for me? I'm not afraid of a challenge, but I also don't want it to come out looking bad. People say that they love hand knitting your own sweater, because you can customize the fit. And I've only knit one sweater, but it actually doesn't fit as well as a store bought sweater, ya know? And I love it cuz I made it, but I want to love this cardi just because it's amazing. The fact that I made it should just be like a bonus point. And people will be like Awesome sweater, where'd you get it? And I'll be all, Oh, I made it. And they're like NO WAY! Where did you get the pattern? And I'll be all like, Oh, just came up with it.

And all will be well with the world.

I like the way you think, Rachel! I love a cabled sweater, but inspiration will have to come from within! Good luck coming up with your Awesome sweater.

I don't know how hard it is, but I"m sort of doing that right now. I was going to knit a cropped hooded shrug I found on Craftster...then I decided to throw a cable up both sides of the back and a Saxon Braid up the middle...and then I decided to just keep knitting the back until it turned in to full sweater length. :teehee: For the fronts I'm just going to do the cable up the sides. I don't want too much cable action going on, especially in the front, b/c it adds bulk to the sweater and I have plenty of my own bulk. Plus I try to play down the boobages and having cables and bobbles across them would probably draw some attention to them. :eyebrow:

It's going well, I didn't mess with things too much as far as gauge and size goes and it doesn't seem to be pulling in too much. I just check the size against a well fitting sweater every now and then to make sure I'm on the right track. Who knows what I'll end up with when I'm done though!

I say knit up a gauge swatch to fool around with in your spare time until Christmas. Throw some cable combinations in there and see how much it pulls, etc. Then you may feel more comfortable throwing caution to the wind when you design as you go. Good luck!

Is it okay to look at pictures of something and try to come up with a similar pattern on your own, just because you don't want to buy a pattern?

Go for it, I say...plus like HammaLee points out go to craftster, find something you like and fiddle with the exact detailing...

Hi RHR check out the cabled cardi on knitqueen thread(need help selecting buttons) it's really neat and might give you some good ideas. Ellie

I just spent $15 on a Rowan book becaused I liked the cabled sweater coat in it, and my sister asked for one for my niece for Christmas. I've decided to make it a saddle shoulder and then work down from there to try to make it a more custom fit. I changed up the collar too.. I'm thinking that I might as well have not bought the book.

I think with doing a sweater with a saddle shoulder of cable, it not only looks beautiful, you can make the saddles as long as you are wide and try it on to make sure the armholes are the right depth and the sleeves are the right length and such. Working from the top down allows you do do more shaping, too, if, for example, you wanted it wider for the bust and narrower at the waist (or vice versa :teehee: )

Here is a website of a person who writes knitting books, she has a project for designing your own cable cardigan, the method, not the pattern.
http://www.bigskyknitting.com/FLAK/knitalong.html
I was trying, until I mis-measured the length and would have had to undo 6 inches of the sleeve, after starting it 4 times.
better luck to you

You might also be interested in the book "Aran Sweater Design":
http://www.elann.com/productdisp.asp?NAME=Aran+Sweater+Design&Cat=NEW&ProductType=1&Count=46