Ando cardigan by Yoko Hatta review

Ando cardigan in Brooklyn Tweed Loft, color Foothills

This is my second “a la carte” project. One that is not from a kit. When I first started knitting about 2 years ago, I had my eye on the designs on the Brooklyn Tweed website. They all looked very complicated. So I decided to look for a level 2 out of 5 in difficulty. 

This design caught my eye because it does not have button holes. All the cardigans that I have made so far does not have button holes. Second, this is a level 2 out of 5. Third, my goal this year is to learn cables. Perfect! So I bought the pattern and the yarn from Purl Soho. I would prefer a paper pattern, since I still need to print it out no matter what. Brooklyn Tweed only sells pdf downloads.

I knitted mine in the second size (44 3/4) and I am a US size 8, which is perfect. The pattern calls for 6 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Loft. And I bought it in the color Foothills, which was modeled on the pattern and website. It is a medium green with specks of yellow. It is not a color I would have picked sight unseen, but with the numerous little cables, I do not want a dark color where the cables would be buried.

My gauge is almost exact as stated in the pattern, but it took 1 1/2 skeins to knit the back piece, so 25% of my yarn is gone. I checked the piece dimensions and they are almost exact as the pattern. I had a feeling that I would run out of yarn, so I knitted the sleeves an inch shorter, since the sleeves are always too long for me, and since the shoulder seam is all the way down on the upper arm, I have no way of knowing how long the sleeves have to be unless I knit them last.

Backside of the Ando

I finished both sleeves and 12 inches into the left front, the 4th skein is gone. I was almost positive at that point that I will not have enough yarn so I ordered another skein from Purl Soho and had to pay shipping. At the end, I was short about 110 yards.

About the pattern, it is very easy to follow even for a first time cable knitter. The back and the sleeves are quite boring since it is just plain stockinette stitch. But then come the many twisted cables. I did make a couple mistakes by twisting the cable the wrong way and had to unravel, and then I realized that this is not a “dog show” project, that I have to do while at home on my chaise.

How much does this cost? 7 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Loft is $117.25 plus the $9 pattern. Purl Soho ships for free if the order is over $90, and no sales tax charge to ship to Texas.

The fit turned out perfect, except that I should not have shorten the sleeves. I made a note should I want to knit this a second time, but the cables gave me a second thought. I really like the way it turned out, and I have worn this a dozen times and the yarn does not have any piling at all. So happy.

Close up of the mini cables.