DIY: Blue Draper Cardigan by Amy Herzog

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The Blue Draper Cardigan is a project I’ve been wanting to make since I first read Amy Herzog’s Knit to Flatter many years ago. Amy’s books teach knitters how to select designs for their body type and then further customize them for the best fit. The Draper pattern comes in both a cardigan and vest. I hope to have both in my collection one day.

Amy’s designs are often made in pieces and seamed together at the end. This construction allows for better overall fit, which is the main goal of her patterns. The other garments I’ve made had a single body construction, so this process is new for me. There are seven separate sections I had to sew together (2 arms, 2 front panels, 2 collar panels, and the back). Matching all the pieces together was a bit daunting because they didn’t fit together at first. However, because wool is stretchy, I was able to line up the pieces and finally assemble the Draper Cardigan without re-knitting any of the pieces

My favourite part about the pattern and Amy’s designs in general are the small adjustments one can make. This cardigan has vertical bust darts, which are mandatory for me, but she also made notes on how to increase the bust size by adding more increases at the darts. I followed her suggestion and it worked beautifully. I will use this technique again in the future for other tops I make.

Yarn and tools

The wool for this Draper Cardigan is Rambling Yarn’s 3 ply Sport in Denim Blue. It is a mix of Rambouillet, Finnsheep, and Gotland wool, which makes a soft wool with a sheen that doesn’t pill easily. It is a beautiful wool by Linc Farm, run by a Canadian farmer couple. They used to live in Niagara but recently moved to Nova Scotia when they purchased their own farm.

The total yardage used is 1400 m or 4.2 skeins of Rambling. I used a 3.5 mm needle that achieved the gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows for 10 cm in stockinette.

Adjustments to the Draper Cardigan

I made some adjustments by shortening the body length and elongating the sleeves. For the body, the waist stops at 20.5 cm from the bottom, but I knit to 18 cm before starting the increases. I also lengthened the three-quarter sleeves to the top of my wrist. I probably could have added a few more centimeters for a more slouchy fit, but I am happy with the result.

Does this colour look familiar on me? I’ve also made the Featherweight Cardigan here in a similar shade.