Voila: Winter Cardigan

Many, many, many rows of plain stockinette with little shaping, then about 12,000 stitches of ruffled lace edging, and this is the best photo I can get:







I am happy with this. It fits. It is reasonably flattering, considering that I am the one who is going to be wearing it. It's fancy enough for work. It's made from a warm and cuddly blend of alpaca, merino, and silk. It doesn't have as much dog hair knitted into it as you might think, although I don't know how I pulled that off and I doubt I'll be able to replicate it in the future. It goes with everything I ordinarily wear to work. It's a little girly, but not too much. It's mostly plain, but shows off some of the knitter's skill as well. The edging was a bitch--500 two-stranded stitches crowded onto a circular needle, and I poked a pretty big hole in my thumb before I decided to tape it. (Sports injury? Tape it up and get back out there! Knitting injury? Tape it up and get back out there!) The hole in my thumb has healed and so I declare the sweater a success, and I give myself an A.



Do you know what this means?

That's right! Gauge swatches! You are getting good at this. My next cardigan is this one, and I will be making it from a wonderful, beautiful 8-ply merino in a lovely shade of red that is flattering to Bunny's pale and rosy complexion. I have been lusting obsessively for this sweater since it came out in Knitty this fall. I might have dropped a few hints in my Christmas post.

The Man takes a lot of slagging here at the Dirtbunny network, and he does a lot of silly little things to deserve it. However, on the big stuff, he is a good guy. Dude took a hint. He went on the interweb. He printed the sweater pattern. He printed out my blog post with the yarn suggestions. He took it all to the LYS. He showed it to the clerk and said "I want to get Dirtbunny yarn to make this sweater in this size. Red, Pink, or Icy Blue. Natural Fibers. Shows off cables well. I don't know what this means but she said softer than Cascade 220." The clerk made some suggestions and The Man narrowed it down to several shades of red in Karabella Aurora 8. And he chose "crimson," which has precisely the cool undertones that flatter Bunny so well. I could not have chosen better myself. I am so pleased with it.

I have had my usual gauge swatch drama. Papa Bear is waaaay too big. Baby Bear is waaaay too small. Mama Bear is a little too big but probably close enough and, since there is no needle size in between Mama and Baby, Ima goin with Mama Bear.

I'm a little worried that I am not going to look exactly like the English Raphaelite-ish model in the picture when I put it on, but that's my cross to bear.