Aimee Sher Building Blocks cardigan

in thrifted Nutiden yarn

Back in August 2023, I was very lucky to find a sweater-quantity of Nutiden yarn in a Stockbridge charity shop. For those uninitiated to the world of artisanal yarn, it’s generally hand dyed in limited quantities, expensive to buy and sells out fast. Nutiden is sold direct from the producer, in limited quantities and in specific online drops available only subscribers. It’s 100% Swedish unspun yarn, meaning the yarn isn’t plyed (twisted), making it tricky to knit with as the yarn is prone to breaking with even the most gentle handling. When I came across this quantity (3 and a half plates; they’re sold in ‘plates’ rather than balls or skeins) for £25 in a colour perfect for my mum, I snapped it up without hesitation.

I’ve never knit with unspun before, so I watched a YouTube video from Aimee Sher about this exact type of yarn. It produces a very lofty, airy fabric, meaning sweaters made with unspun yarn are very warm but very light. For beginners to unspun, it’s generally best to either hold it double with itself, or with a different yarn, such as merino. I turned to my beloved tried & true Drops Kidsilk, which is affordable and comes in a wide variety of colours. I also decided to knit a pattern designed specifically for unspun yarn, to maximise my chances of success. I liked the look of the Aimee Sher Building Blocks cardi pattern, as one I could use in different variations for multiple folks in my life, including myself!

This pattern was very straightforward to knit, with very comprehensive instructions. It includes multiple different style options for lots of different body shapes and sizes, which I appreciate. It is a large document to print, if, like me, you prefer a printed pattern to a digital one. However, I can already imagine knitting at least another one for my mum, plus both the short and long sleeved varieties for me, so printing it out is definitely worth it.

You can see from the photos above, how the Nutiden and Drops kidsilk creates this lovely fuzzy warm halo around the fabric, where it catches the light. Mum is a person who feels the cold, so I know she’ll appreciate the warmth this cardigan will provide.

I’ve included some photos of me wearing the cardigan, partly because I wanted to see how the style worked on my body, and partly to give you readers an idea of the fit. I think we can all appreciate that pink is not my colour! Luckily it works really well for Mum’s colouring though. I do like the boxy fit through the body and the slim, but not overly fitted, sleeves. I would probably knit one in navy for myself.

I knit a double thickness sleeve cuff, which if I’m honest, I can’t remember whether it was as instructed or off my own back. I tend to knit double thickness cuffs as standard, because that’s the part of a sweater I find tends to wear through the fastest. It’s one of those little changes that can make an item of clothing last much longer, especially since cuffs are difficult to mend. Those buttons are from my stash and were a perfect match, so I was delighted to make use of them. Recycling!