Using up my red knits: Vogue 2506 et al.

I don't know about you, but I don't like changing the thread in my machines. Even more so if it's the serger or the coverstitch and has at least three cones to change. Honestly it isn't that big a deal, but still, I find myself avoiding it. So my past four projects have involved sewing up all of the reddish knits that I have. One was the streaked red knit that I used for the McCall's cardigan in the last post. There was enough of that left over to do something with, but not anything I'd really want in a moderately warm fabric like that (i.e. long sleeves were not going to be possible). So I used it to test an old Kwik Sew pattern, 304. More on that later, but to put it briefly, it's much boxier than it looks and I wouldn't sew it again without a pretty major redesign.

The second fabric is a viscose/wool/angora blend; I have what've turned out to be a few major wardrobe builders made from this same fabric in other colors. This one's a slightly duller, softer red, partly because of the slight heathering from the angora, but the serger threads were close enough (and maybe as close as I'd be likely to find in that weight, not living in New York). For this I used a newer basic top pattern, Kwik Sew 2619, that I'm much happier with. Again, more on that later; I may end up comparing it to 304.

Lastly, what I'll actually show here is Vogue 2506. It's a 2000 sweatshirt pattern that I got discontinued (thus the X) several years ago.

I made something like the version shown in off white, but split it down the front, left out the drawstring, and closed it with hooks and eyes only at the neck and the diagonal front seams. I've given it a bit of a "flyaway" pose on the form. It does need another pressing, and I'm debating whether I like it closed at the lower hook or not, but of course that can just be left undone.

With the extended shoulders and the very straight cut, I'm glad I used a drapier fabric than shown in the sketches. In fact, it's very oversized. This is probably just as well for an unlined cardigan that will have to be dragged on over other things.

So that's it for my red knits. It's nice not to have to rethread, but I'm also relieved to be able to move onto something else. Maybe some wovens will be next.