Sweater Girl Showdown: Which Shrunken Cardigan to Knit?

Which curve-hugging vintage-inspired cardigan to knit? Decisions, decisions!

Now that I've finished Z's Tomten hooded sweater jacket, I'm so excited to make a shrunken spring cardigan for myself to go with my spring wardrobe separates. I'm a die-hard sweater girl--I wear a colorful fitted cardigan almost every day (with a rare blazer thrown in here or there), and there are so many awesome vintage-inspired super-fitted negative-ease knitting options to choose from...

I kind of got lost in the black hole of the Ravelry pattern browser, but I eventually emerged with:

Four Top Contenders:

1. Puff-Sleeved Feminine Cardigan by Stefanie Japel from Fitted Knits.

• Pros: I already own the book and the yarn--bought both ages ago when I first pondered making this sweater.
• Cons: I might look like I have balloons stuck in my sleeves.

2. Georgina Cardigan by Alexis Winslow from her website Knit Darling.

• Pros: When I look at this pattern I want to say "Beautiful sweater, where have you been all my life?" That shawl collar! The plunging neckline! The fabulous lace and ribbing! And while I had never previously heard of this designer... she is seriously awesome. I'm also totally crushing on her chevron-patterned Delancey Cardigan, and ombre-striped Nora sweater dress. AND she's from Brooklyn. And wears glasses.
• Cons: This looks to require some serious gauging and blocking precision, and few Ravelry-ers (Ravelers?) have gone before me. Also: yarn will need to be purchased.

3. Miette Cardigan by Andi Satterlund from her website Untangling Knots. (Photo above is a lovely Miette knit by Erika Made It, as Andi prefers no Pins from her site)

• Pros: Love the scoop neck, the little lace touches around the edges, the super-short length (less knitting!) and the serious bust dart shaping. Another designer I was unfamiliar with, Andi seems to have a range of awesome vintage-inspired feminine knitting patterns... you may have seen Lauren's awesome in-progress Agatha. Also: Miette is a free pattern!
• Cons: Again, new yarn and some serious fitting precision required.

4. Peggy Sue Cardigan by Linda Wilgus from her website Wooly Mammoth Knits.

• Pros: Such an adorable vintage style--I love the figure-hugging waist cables and the short sleeves. And it's free!
• Cons: It's DK weight (i.e. slower to knit than the Georgina or Miette), and I'm not sure if it would look too prim on me when buttoned up.

So... can you guess which one I chose? It should be pretty obvious from the sketch (all my knitting friends guessed immediately).

The Yarn Contenders

I also need to decide on yarn--one thing I know for sure is that it will be wool or a wool-dominant blend! The last spring cardigan I made for myself (Pam Allen's Flutter Sleeve Cardigan from Interweave Knits)-- I knit to the 36" bust size with correct gauge...

And yet it sagged and stretched to fit me even while 37 weeks pregnant--you can imagine it is rather baggy now (perhaps a little sweater surgery is in order?) ... that's what I get for knitting with a cotton/silk blend.

After years of knitting with lots of cheaper KnitPicks yarns, I'd like to try something a bit fancier, especially since these cardigans don't require tons of yarn. Like madelinetosh tosh vintage 100% superwash merino wool, maybe in Forestry:

Or Chartreuse:

And then there's Berocco Ultra Alpaca (50% wool, 50% alpaca), at about half the price of the above, but not available in nearly as many fun or bright colors. Perhaps in Periwinkle:

Or how about Dream in Color Classy Spring Tickle?

Or Malabrigo Rios in Lettuce?

And then there's a whole bunch of other yarns I've been pinning...

Luckily I've got a pair of socks in progress, so I can take my time on the yarn decision, and hopefully buy it at a local yarn store like Knit-A-Way or Brooklyn General.

Which cardigan would you knit? And if you don't knit, am I tempting you?!

P.S. Speaking of chartreuse cardigans, I'm considering attempting to resurrect my half-sewn McCall's 5529 doubleknit cardi-jacket (with peplum!) from the UFO pile--it's super huge since I started making while pregnant, but maybe I can cut it down to a smaller size?

P.P.S. If you enjoy these showdown posts, see also "Sheath Dress Showdown: Colette Edition" and "1940s Red Dress Showdown: Du Barry Edition."