Giant Grey Cardigan day: McCalls M6844

So, I went from a manic birthday week (including three cocktail bars in two days because cocktails) straight into a raging bout of flu. I really wanted to post about my coat this week, because it's finally done and I have a lot to say about it, but there's been no way for my red nosed, dry skinned, cough-filled face to take any photos fit for publication. So here's something I made and photographed a few weeks ago, and seems fitting for my current state.

This is McCalls M6844, a consistently well-reviewed pattern I bought last year when I realised I needed more layering pieces. Then I didn't use it because reasons. However, I've decided that this year I want to get through the majority of patterns in my stash, and I am still in dire need of layering pieces. So on an especially balls cold day, I cut it out and went to work. The fabric is the same light sweater knit I used for my grey wrap dress - I had enough left over to make this cardigan and another top, which won't get its own post because it's another Cashmerette Concord and I don't really have anything left to say about it. 

This pattern is well-reviewed for a reason. It has four different versions (longer and shorter, with or without the peplum thing; this is the shorter, peplummed version. Yes, that's a word now) and it's an excellent staple pattern if you're a wearer of this kind of cardigan. It came together within a couple of hours and presented me with zero problems, except the one where I forgot to cut out the second pair of collar pieces and had to do some weird piecing with my remnants, but that really can't be blamed on the pattern. The instructions are good and it's easy to alter should you need to.

There is no denying that this is a giant grey cardigan that can very easily look like the sartorial embodiment of depression. But goddamn, is it comfy and useful. I wear it at home basically every day. Sometimes I wear it with the top I made in the same fabric, which looks slightly more pulled together, but mostly I don't even care because LAYERS. LAYERS FOR EVERYONE.

(I tried to go outside earlier to get some more flu drugs and almost got knocked over by the sheer force of the wind. Maybe if I wear enough cardigans I can become large, stone, immovable by storm. Or maybe I'm just mildly delirious.)

I will definitely make this again. I'd like to try it in a slightly livelier colour, assuming I can find a suitable fabric (all sweater knit in this country is grey! WHY is all sweater knit grey?), and I think I recall seeing a belted version somewhere that I'd like to imitate. I'm not going to make hundreds because that's not what my wardrobe is set up for, but there's definitely a gap for another one or two.

Next week: coat! Promise.