Cable Knit Cardigan Sweater Refashion

Spring has sprung or so they say! When I think of spring, I think soft hues, florals and lighter layers.

That brings me to this once waterfall cardigan (from Hollister). I had a love-hate relationship with it. My twin gave it to me a while back, since she barely wore it (and I could see why).

The fit was just plain weird! It was as though the shoulder seams were non-existent, so whenever I wore it, I found myself constantly adjusting it.

As much as I hated the fit, I couldn’t come to terms with getting rid of it because I loved the look and feel of the cable knit. Ergo, I decided on a DIY oversized sweater.

Here’s what I did

(PART 1) V-Neck Oversized Sweater:

1. I started by fitting the cardigan. I then pinned and basted the front flaps together, to align the knit ribbings.
2. Once I was happy with the fit, I finished with a straight stitch (using a ballpoint needle), then removed the excess before serging the edges together.
3. To create the front v-neck, I started by removing the label, then cutting the neck band off (just below the band stitch) and stopping an inch past the shoulder seams.
4. Afterwards, I laid out the sweater to ensure the neckline was nice and flat. There was some extra, so I took it in at the shoulders (in the form of a dart).
5. Next, I located the center front of the sweater, then took the detached neck band and shaped it to form the new v-neck.
6. Once I was happy with the layout, I outlined it with pins followed by a basting stitch. *This was done to add some stability to the knit while sewing and to use as a guide for step 8.
7. Before reattaching the neck band, I first secured the overlapped center of the band with a straight stitch. I then removed the bulk (caused by the overlap) from the wrong side.
8. To reattach the band, I folded the raw edge under and pinned it to the sweater (center front first) along the basting stitch. I then finished by sewing along the folded edge, being careful not to stretch the knit while sewing (to avoid distortion).
9. Lastly, I trimmed the excess from the neckline (following the neck band allowance), then serged the edges together.

Spring daytime look. Here’s what used to be the back of the cardigan

Dunno if you noticed that the front logo is still intact, just less noticeable.

   (PART 2) DIY cable knit Choker:

1. First, I took the cable knit scraps (the discarded front flaps from the once cardigan) and placed one of top of the other, to cut two even strips.
2. After the strips were cut, I laid them out running one end of the ribbon along the center of one strip. I then used the other strip to cover them, being careful not to shift the ribbon. *I used a few pins to help keep the ribbon in place while sewing.
3. Next, I sewed the strips together, leaving the end with the rest of the ribbon open. *This time I stretched the knit while sewing, to prevent the threads from breaking for step 5.
4. Afterwards, I trimmed off the extra from the sides of the choker. I then pulled on the ribbon at the open end, to turn the choker right side out.
5. Once on the right side, I inserted the plastic band. I first cut a strip of the plastic band the same width as the choker, making sure to round the corners and file any rough edges.
6. Lastly, was closing the open end. I first tucked in the other end of the ribbon, along with the raw edges of the knit, then secured in place by hand (whip stitch). I finished off by cutting the ribbon to my desired length and done!

Perfect night-out look

Love how the v-neck compliments the v-shape hem

And there you have it! This was my first time working with cable knits. Dunno why I thought you needed to be a knitter of some kind to take on such projects. Hehe silly me!

Btw, the choker was a last minute addition. Halfway through the tutorial, I realized that it needed some support to maintain its shape. And that’s when I got the idea to use the shirt stay/insert. I came across it after sifting through my “may come in handy one day” stash.

I definitely prefer it as a sweater than a cardigan. Especially since the shoulders are holding up a lot better now that the front is closed. It also helped that I took in the shoulders a bit. All in all I’m happy with it and I’m sure it’ll get more use this time around.

Easy, enough no? Let me know what you think!