Projects
Ode to the Mood Cardigan
Weather-wise, it’s been a weird summer so far. In a house in the woods with no a/c, I’ve usually got my trusty Vornado fans running marathons by now. But this year I’ve been just as likely to be rummaging the closet shelves for a sweater.
Luckily, I can rely on my Mood Cardigan. It’s the perfect light layer to grab when a thunderstorm rolls through, also good for looking cute and on-brand (my brand is “You’ll Never Guess: I’m A Knitter”) on the zoom calls.
Recently we took a wander through the internet to see how other knitters were faring with this classic pattern by Jeanette Sloan from MDK Field Guide No. 15: Open.
Whoa. So many good ones, and in so many yarns! I am starting to feel like the Mood Cardigan is the universal donor project for yarns from laceweight (doubled) to fingering weight (held single) to sportweight (we saw a great one in Nua Sport, for example). My friend Anita Levine (the Knitting Machine) even made a Mood Cardigan using doubled Neighborhood Fiber Company’s Rustic Fingering. This is an easy mistake/modification, since the pattern is written for a double strand of laceweight), and it turned out so flufftastic and great that I think I’ll double Rustic Fingering for my next Mood!
Let’s see what’s out there, shall we?
The Many Moods of Mood
Rachael’s, which she says is getting a lot of wear this summer. The yarn: Bare Naked Wools. Special thanks to Rachel for modeling it worn both ways: rib-up (left), and rib-down (center and right).
Kathryn’s. The yarn: Gleem Lace in Burnished, held double.
Nancy’s. Above, the yarn is Gleem Lace in Plum Imps, held double. Nancy’s an overachiever: she also did the one below in a single strand of Rustic Fingering.
shade: Rock Creek Park
Barb’s. The yarn is a variety of “odd balls.” (Not that any of us have any of those around the house.)
Robin’s, shown both ways also, thank you! The yarn: Gleem Lace held double.
Kay’s. (kay club fist bump!) The yarn: Helix held double.
Packing Your Bags?
Here’s a tip for nothing. If you’re looking for a great piece of travel knitting, consider the Mood Cardigan. The genius of this design is that Jeanette Sloan has created a draping cardigan out of two rectangles. The simple lace pattern is easily memorized, and there’s no shaping. And it takes surprisingly few skeins of yarn. We can think of no better project to tote on a trip, and it’ll be a quick finish once you get it home.
I love seeing this cardi on a variety of real peeps! You are right — it does look good on everyone.
Barb has quite a way with oddballs. Hers looks like an Italian import. Although they all are beautiful!
Thanks for the compliment Chloe! I used Noro Silk Garden teamed up with some solid yarns. I used 2 strands throughout.
I thought it was Noro until told otherwise! 😉
“Flufftastic”! Great word;) The Moods like cool and comfy on everyone!.
Thank you for this ! I found 2 balls of lace weight in my living room, and I could not remember why I bought them. It was definitely for a Mood. As soon as this baby blanket is finished, I’m casting on.
Oh my, Barb’s Odd Ball version… Will she share more detail on the yarns?
Hi Knitswithnewton, I had 3 balls of Noro Silk Garden which I teamed up with some other yarns of complementary solid colours. I used double strands throughout.
Definitely one of the all-time Best Patterns Ever.
Mood Cardigan is my project on the needles when I am in situations where I don’t have to worry about distractions. Knit Nights, car rides, zoom calls, etc. I just have to be super careful when the pattern shifts. I tend to have to tink a partial row as forget to shift at some point in the row if I zonk out. Next up will the be Shakerag!
I made a Mood for my daughter and still have one for me in the back of my mind – thanks for the reminder! Hers looked good on both of us.
Still working on mine… in Schoppel Wolle cotton. Hope to finish it this week for a train trip next week.
I made mine out of gleam lace in the blueberry colorway. Great fun!
What a terrific idea for a sweater !