The Monthly Stitch has been fantastic at encouraging me to finally make some of those “round-toits”. Case and point not one but two merino cardigans.
No. 1 is re-make of a brown jersey that unfortunately had an early demise thanks to my lovely “Hemingway cat”. (To save this post from cat pix, head over to my blog to see SnagglePuss in action.) Too good to throw out, I recut it into a bolero style cardigan. The pattern is one of my own, adjusted to fit the confines of the original jersey, including extra seams in discreet places (like the facings) because there was only just enough fabric. I’ve got no idea where the fastenings came from, they’ve been hanging out in “the trims stash” for so long.
No. 2 is made from left-over merino from a tunic top made years ago. I made the pattern by tracing a sweater onto paper, then cutting a bit off the bottom of the pattern for a hip band, a bit off the centre fronts for front plackets (mainly because there wasn’t quite enough fabric, otherwise I would have extended the fronts to create fold back facings), a bit off the sleeves for cuffs and did some dodgy arithmetic to work out how long the neckband needed to be. If you try this method for yourself, remember to add seam allowances before you cut your fabric.
Czechoslovakian glass buttons complete the cardigan – a wonderful find in Taupo of all places!
If your wondering why my mannequin is covered in black lyrca, I’ve finally put a little junk in her trunk, using this tutorial and a bunch of old shoulderpads. Garments hang much better now she has a realistic shape!
The Monthly Stitch 
These look great and I love the fact that you’ve repurposed a jersey for one of them – those naughty cats, but don’t we love them.
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Yes we do – especially on these cold nights. LOVE your blue sweater (on your blog), btw.
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Thank you!
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These are wonderful cardigans, I get cold pretty easy and these would be a great addition to the wardrobe. Thanks for sharing!
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I unfortunately sit under a heating vent at work (and can’t move my desk) which means 99% of the time I’m either too hot or too cold. Cardigans are certainly the most versatile garments to wear as they are easier to put on and take off. Thanks for the comment!
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Wow! These cardigans are great! Real woardobe essentials!
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Absolutely – worn both a few times since finishing them last week.
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Ooh, I so need to make some good cardigans like these – they look great! I particularly like the brown one!
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Maybe because my school uniform had a brown jersey I dragged my heels making that one, yet I’ve worn it more times than the blue already!
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These look great! I especially love the look of the jersey. I think I need to find out where I can get some good quality merino, as it has a lovely finish! Some good stash busting going on!
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Have you tried the Fabric Store? Think the closest to you is LA, so not sure if they’ll mail to the UK. – http://www.thefabricstoreusa.com/
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