I think that your Forecast looks sunny and warm! LOL!

It's beautiful!!! I love sweaters that are open...you don't want it send it to me. hee hee

LOVE it!

I am so upset. I read your blog on a weekly basis. So last week I was delighted to see your beautiful pictures of Forecast. Now I can't. I think my work blocked the flickr website. I am so sad because I have dial up at home and its so painful to surf the internet. But for you I just might have to make due with the words at work and take my knitting and download the pictures at home. Knitting can get you through most waiting situations slow internet included....becuase its not just you its many of my favorite blogs!!

I think you look freaking adorable. But then, we know I love the geeky/goofy look and I have been known to sport that hairstyle with glasses A LOT. (Like, most mornings.) All that rambling aside, it is a really cute sweater!

Delurking here.

Hi Carrie,

This cardigan is absolutely beautiful and you look great in it. I personally haven't knitted a sweater or cardigan for over 20 years (and then my knits were in stockinette, garter stitch or a combination of both only). So read my follow idea with caution...

First of all, this cardigan looks great as it is. However, if it really bugs you that it doesn't close I would try to modify the button and buttonhole band. What about integrating an i-cord as an extra column effect? Or two i-cord bands with e.g. reversed stockinette between them. I would experiment a bit with several stitch options on a little sample swatch (the size of the button band area required to be able to close the cardigan).

Bette

PS: I like your blog a lot!

You don't look like a column, you look ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
Ehem! You do!

So. Freaking. Cute! Love it!

LOVE your mods! I think it works well open, more like a jacket than a sweater. I couldn't tell that it wasn't done that way on purpose!

I've been meaning to knit this sweater for more than a year now, and I keep seeing others' amazing FOs. I think I need to cast on for this baby now, or I never will.

Wow, I can't believe I missed this post last week. I must have totally zoned out while reading my bloglines! Anyway, I love this color on you! And I have major back porch envy!

I wanted to talk to you about dying, but I can't find your email here and it seems like leaving a comment for you on my blog is really silly. My email is melaniedc@gmail.com, and I have a few "wedding on the cheap" thoughts too, as I did mine for under $1000.00.

I think it's super cute. Personally, I'd probably put the buttons on anyway - even if just for looks. I rarely close a cardigan sweater - at best, I close a button under the bust. I won't buy zippered cardigan's that don't have double ended zippers, because I only like them closed a little if at all.

Nice deck too.

Hi, this is approximately my second post and I've been pondering your "saving money while planning a wedding" question. I just got married last summer and I think one of the things that you may not have heard from other commenters is that flowers for the bride and bridesmaid are not cheap - even from the grocery store. The flowers weren't super important for me - I wanted them but not at $200-$300 - and then there was the bridesmaids and church flowers too. So I wasn't going to spend $800+ total on flowers. The boys went without (that is what Cory wanted (husband)), and we made the girl's flowers. We went to Michaels (local craftstore) and bought the flower arranging tape and white ribbon with wire on the sides, bought 6 big boquets from the grocery store, and made the boquets and arrangements the day before. They weren't glamourous but I loved them.
My second money saver was to not hire a DJ. We rented the equipment and hooked up Itunes via a laptop (can also be done via Ipod - one of our friends did that). But from what I've read (so far) on your blog, this area might not be an issue for you.
It was the happiest day of my life and I hope that yours is too. I'll be around on the blog - you are now in my bookmarks.

Beautiful porch. * porch envy * I like your Forecast, too.

Hi! Just stumbled across your blog today. I have to say, I like the mods you made to Forecast. I've always thought it was a bit...how should I put this...horrific? But with the bobbles removed and the ribbing extended, and with it open (yes, I think it looks better open!) it's quite a changed sweater. I like it! It's interesting, because I could still totally tell that it was a Stefanie Japel design, but it looked so tasteful and flattering! (I may be in the minority, but I find a lot of her stuff to be 'exhuberant' and oddly proportioned.) Bravo!

I like the way it looks, unbuttoned!

I love the photo shoot! The color suits you!

Beautiful sweater. Absolutly lovely :)

beautiful sweater and beautiful porch - I'm guessing you got to enjoy that sweater this past weekend - bbbrrrrrr!!! here's hopin' winter's over and you can wear forecast on some lovely cool spring nights!

not dorky at all, i think you look really cute in your pics! :D

your forcast sweater is gorgeous. sorry you're having issues with it buttoning. the very first cardigan i ever knit had the very same problem. but the open sweater looks is very becoming of you, no worries. :)

Hey, Carrie! Awesome job on the sweater. That color looks great on you.

i love your forecast -- great color, cute fit! but i can totally empathize with a few of your issues with it. the neck on my version will NOT stand up. i'm wondering if i didn't make the top long enough before connecting under the arms? and my fella also thinks it's a strange design -- guys just aren't as fashion forward, i suppose.

Wow, that's wonderful. Very preppy!
*tiina

OK, it took me a while to get over the overwhelming cuteness of your hairstyle, but now I can perhaps articulate something about your sweater. It ROCKS! RAWKS! ROQUES! To tell you the truth, mine won't button on most days, either. Shhhh! Don't tell ANYONE! It will live in fame in the photoshoot, but most days I wear mine open, too. I love, love, love your sweater and I'm SO HAPPY that you finished it and love it, too!

First of all, you look adorable in all the pictures. Second of all, don't apologize for not cropping -- one of the first rules of photo composition is not to put your subject dead center, so I think it's nice that you see so much of your porch in that one photo. Third of all, I think Forecast works well as an open sweater. I hope you'll still get lots of use out of it, because it looks great!

Forecast looks great on you! Hehehe I had to comment because your first picture evokes in me the feeling I have when I get my picture taken with a finished object. It's like, "what do i do?", "how do i stand" kind of questions. you probably weren't thinking that though=) anyways, cute sweater. hopefully the love for it grows with wear!

Very cute sweater. It looks great even without buttons. I need to go check out that pattern again. I want one!

I love your sweater because of several changes you made: extending the ribbing of the waist and the arms, making the sweater longer, eliminating the bobbles. All these elongated the line. The cardigan looks lovely. You did a fabulous job.

Maybe a grosgrain ribbon of the same color at the waist for closure...I am thinking Edwardian....you have a charming knit!

I love the forecast. The color is perfect. I too completely ignore gauge (and yarn choice for that matter). Sometimes it works out for the best, and I think in this case you still have a great sweater!

Also, your porches are great. Hopefully it is warming up there so you can sit outside and knit!

Looks fantastic! (And the "don't be so difficult" picture is very cute :)

It's fantastic!

I think it's lovely, Carrie! The fit (despite the button issue) is great and I love the color on you. I have similar problems with buttoning close-fitting sweaters. What about putting in a zipper? I've decided in future that with fitted cardis I'm either going to go up a size or make them with a zipper to facilitate closure.

Miss Carrie, I love it. I think it looks terrific as an open sweater.

I can't remember . . . did you garter purl or garter knit? I know that the pattern tells you to purl, but I am wondering how it works if you ignore that and knit. I have the yarn in my stash ready to be knit.

aww yeah! finished forecast! WOOT! those ittle pigtail dealies look ADORABLE on you! OMG!

Everyone has pretty well established that the lack of closure doesn't detract.... I actually like the collar the way it is, too. It's a really cute sweater, not at all what I thought when I looked at the pattern before you made it. Nicely done!

Gauge or not gauge...it looks fabulous! Love the color on you!

I understand that you aren't 100% happy with it, however it is cute, and a great color (my fav is blue, but don't let that influence you).

P.S. - is the rest of your house as great as the porch? if so, is it for sale? (jk-maybe ;o)

Lovely sweater and AWESOME porch!

This sweater is beautiful, and you look supercute in the photos (not dorky)! The porch is quite nice, too. :)

Well, I like it all the same, and I'm in complete agreement with Eunny's comment.
Any hoo, perhaps you could knit another button band, like you did with "Central Park?"
Or, you could knit a 2 skinny strips of the cable repeat and sew them on as you go, with buttonholes? It'd help it close, so adding a little extra'll be worth it.

You are way too hard on your knits. Just wear it open or put in a zipper... it looks totally rockin'. Maybe hook and eye closures right where the garter stitch waistline on the sweater is?

I think it looks fab as an open sweater. Plus, it is totally the type of sweater where people will go in amazement "you MADE that?" Very, very cute!

You look great in Forcast! I have a sweater knit out of Calmer that's snug fitting and the buttons wouldn't stay closed, so I just sewed it together at the buttonholes, because I like it closed more than open. Now it looks like a cardi, but it's really a pullover. That's one option.

It think a zipper would work great. Snug fits that won't button - often zipper. You could also do a vintage pin at the top instead of waist near the collar like a capelet, but with your full lenght forecast. It is beautiful though. Great job for sure!

This is so cute! I wouldn't have immediately thought of a sweater with so much going on as being totally wearable, but you make it look really fresh - I think it looks great on you. Who cares about closures, anyway?

PS: I think a wide shiny ribbon around the waist would be a great closure. Who needs buttons?

Gauge Schmauge. You're a fantastic knitter and you have a great sense of style and colour and your Forecast turned out fabulous (enough adjectives in that sentence for you? hehe). I know it didn't turn out how you planned but I have a feeling you'll find plenty of occasions to wear it. It would be killer with a flowy skirt on a cool spring night ... do you have any cool spring nights in Athens? I wouldn't know, but we have those up here in Canada, so if not, you can come here and enjoy your Forecast to the max.

Have a great weekend,
Colleen

I think it is adorable as is. Yes, you probably could add some sort of closure at the waist. Play around with options -- you may just learn to totally love your Forecast as is.

I like it. Who needs a sweater to close anyway?

I love the color on you, and I think that it looks very cute open! Then again, I rarely button my cardigans. :)

Enjoy!

The sweater looks fab-u-lous!!!!!!!!!!

well i think it looks sassy, and that color is fantastic!!

pants is right, it does kinda resemble a roman column, but that's neat...a sweater with architectural interest!

I think your forecast sweater looks cute the way it is! Cardigans that close are overrated and sometimes getting gauge can be a pain! Wear it well!

I just knit a Vogue Knitting sweater that is supposed to be open, but I'm contemplating a zipper. Key word = contemplating. I've never put a zipper in a handmade knit. Would that be a possibility for your forecast? It's a lovely knit and a perfect color on you, so I think figuring out a way to make it "the" perfect sweater is absolutely imperative.

Hi, I'm new to your blog and am really enjoying it. Sorry it didn't turn out exactly as you hoped, but it looks great in the pics!

I've been a lurker for a while, I always teach my students to get guage first, or we work a bigger size, but hey....it looks cute!

I've been a lurker for a while, I always teach my students to get guage first, or we work a bigger size, but hey....it looks cute!

Forecast looks so gorgeous in the pictures! I was surprised to read you aren't totally happy with it. Stupid wrong gauge!

I like it. I can appreciate being annoyed by the button problem, though. But you know, if Forecast doesn't make your outfit, your cute hair sure does!

I'm going to add to the "It looks great!" chorus. Seriously. Yours is only the second Forecast that I've seen and really liked. It's purple, and I don't even like purple, so that's really saying something. Ha!

Also? The porch? I want one!

I love your back yrd and the porch!!
Oh, and I gess the sweater is nice too ;)

hehe- you totally crack me up. That pic with the, "oh forecast" is the best.

Love your porch- so jealous.

So forecast.... could you add some more button band on there? It doesn't look that it is THAT small. (I know, that is not the carrie way. haha) It is still cute. :)

I think it looks great, your version has made me want to knit it,buttoned or not.

Even if it won't close, it's totally cute--and so are you!

It really does look great on you! Darn fickle gauge. Love the color.

It looks great on you! BTW, I love the view from your porch.

I appreciate your honest assessment! :-) It's hard sometimes not to act like you just knit the best thing ever. And, we all need "keep your shoulders warm" sweaters, along with "make a whole outfit" sweaters. I think it looks great!