Started: Cardigan

 

This is the first time in a long time that I splurged on Knit Picks wool.  A couple months ago they had a sale on Hawthorne Kettle Dye so I jumped at the chance to buy 3 skeins.  36 bucks.  That is a splurge to me.  But with acrylic yarn at Michael’s becoming more expensive, the difference in prices for Ana’s sweaters at least, isn’t much.

Besides, this is a high quality merino wool.  It’s squishy, it smells of sheep.  I love working with it.  I even have it going on steel needles so I can knit faster before it really gets chilly.  Surprisingly, and I guess because I’m still basking in the glow of humidity free California, my hands don’t hurt.  I’m assuming that by late October they will be and I’ll have to work my other projects with bamboo.

This pattern is a Drops design pattern.  Drops is a company from either Canada or Scandinavia, I really don’t remember, that has really lovely, timeless looking patterns; however, they’re written horrendously.  Like to the point where people ask, “hey, I want a pattern similar to this, but NOT Drops”.  I don’t know if it’s a lost in translation issue or they assume you know what you’re doing like the patterns of yore.  But they need a new editor.

I’ve been knitting so long that it’s only having to flip between multiple pages that frustrates me.  Drops patterns absolutely must be printed.  There is no checking it from your phone.  You will want to murder a basket full of puppies.

Anyway.

I hope to have this done before the end of September, when the fall chill creeps down from upstate!  I’m hoping Ana will wear it everyday and not complain about it being itchy.  I really have to make a point to buy wool again, plastic is destroying the Earth.

🧶