The Pleasure of Knitting for Those Who Are “Knit-Worthy”

Thoughts on knitting a modified Wearing Cardigan

Last December, right before Christmas, the New York Times ran an article called “The Emotional Gamble of a Hand-Knitted Gift.” I was with my side of the family at the time, and since half of us are knitters, this sparked some conversation. We talked about who in the family was knit-worthy—the answer is all of us—because even the non-knitters have seen first-hand how much effort goes into making a garment or an accessory. They are always appreciative and always wear the things they’ve been gifted.

Rather conveniently, this article and discussion coincided rather neatly with the start of my making a cardigan for Dad. He is, my sister and I agreed, thoroughly knit-worthy.

I decided to make the Wearing Cardigan by Donna Smith Designs for Dad after making one for myself. I made mine with a very rustic yarn (Langsoond DK, also by Donna Smith Designs) and I loved the way the cardigan knitted up, holding plenty of shape thanks to the sturdy Shetland wool. When Dad saw it, he had plenty of nice things to say about the cardigan, which got me thinking about making a man’s version for him.

Modifying this cardigan turned out to be fairly straightforward. I eliminated the waist shaping I’d added for myself (it is optional in the pattern instructions), and I lengthened the sleeves slightly for him. I also knitted up somewhere between a crew neck and a funnel neck collar per his request after trying the cardigan on.

I was happily able to finish, block, and gift the cardigan to Dad this past weekend. He put it on and wore it right away.

As with anything I knit, I love the final product but I can see little tweaks I’d like to make. The yarn doesn’t grow much in blocking, but I do wonder whether the fabric has relaxed slightly to give him a little more room through the body than I would like. However, I know that this is a very cold weather garment, and he is likely to layer underneath.

The following day, I found Dad sitting in the summer house, wearing my Wearing Cardigan and a pair of fingerless gloves that my sister knitted for him. If that’s not a demonstration of a knit-worthy father, I don’t know what is.