The Fabel-ous Cardigan

So here we are, at the finish line for the stripey little yoke cardigan from Drops Fabel and Alpaca yarns. I am totally enamored of it, and miss working on it, now that it's been completed. In fact, I've been toying with the idea of doing another one in the future, but with more colour. For now, let's just look at this one and enjoy it, in all its black & grey & white glory.


As I mentioned before, the construction of this cardigan was a bit consternating, at times, though ultimately it was actually quite simple, once you got on with it. When choosing the size to knit, I was planning for several inches of negative ease (i.e. for the finished garment to be several inches smaller around than I am) because I know how much garter stitch can stretch, and I wanted it to be somewhat fitted. I think the photos make it apparent that it is certainly fitted, in all the right places. The way it is knit also allows for a lot of trying-on-for-size, which is always great. I started out knitting the Large, but ended up adding a few repeats here and there, as I tried it on and thought it needed a bit more room.


In recognition that this sweater is described as an A-line sweater, I can see that it would have been more swingy if I had made perhaps the XL. Also, because the sweater is knitted side-to-side, the one thing I couldn't adjust for, along the way, was the length. I have considered adding a dark grey border with the Alpaca along the bottom hem, to lengthen it a bit, but in the end I decided that I like it as is. Nothing wrong with a short little sweater, sometimes.


The button band gapes a bit when I wear it buttoned up, although it gapes less after blocking the sweater with a steam iron. It does look great worn open, though, so I don't really have to worry about it. (Is it conceited of me to say that?)

Overall, the sweater is comfy and lightweight -- knitted from wool/nylon sock yarn and a fingering weight alpaca, it isn't very thick, so it will be perfect for cool mornings and evenings, as the weather begins to turn.

One last photo of a happy lady in a pretty sweater, and thanks to my HLM for the photography. (Please know that he is a much better photographer than a sweater shoot will allow him to display.)

A (Very) Short Update

The cardigan is complete, except for the buttons, which I have yet to buy. For the last couple of days, since finishing it, I have been on a very strict regimen of charity scarf knitting, waffle eating, and watching a marathon of Project Runway Australia online. Heaven.


Here, as evidence of my most recent impulse purchase, is a photo of some yummy Pumpkin Waffles I made the other day. They were not as perfectly pumpkinny as I had hoped, but still good. After all, how bad could waffles be? (Please don't answer that. I don't really want to know.)

What do you get when you cross a skunk and a porcupine?

Something like this?

I took a couple of days off from the stripey cardi (and started planning what I will knit after it's finished, believe it or not) and then had a problematic attempt to make the collar as written -- I was not really thrilled with how it was going, and then when my cast-off row was way (way) too tight, I decided it was a sign and frogged the whole collar. This will put my buttonholes in slightly wrong places, but I'll make do somehow. Worry not, faithful reader: this will turn out great anyway.

So if you didn't figure out what's going on in that photo (and I'm sure that it's hard to, if you're not actually in the process of making this sweater right now, and -- let's face it -- none of you are) I'm working on the sleeve cuffs now. Soon, soon... *rubbing hands together*

And hey, look:

Brownies!

And not just any brownies -- these are Black Russian Brownies, so they have a dash of Kahlua and Vodka in there. They're pretty darn good, though not quite the heavy fudge brownies I know and love. Maybe I'll adapt my regular recipe to incorporate some alcohol. (Note to self: that might just be a good all-around policy for cooking.) I will say that the one thing that really grabs me about these is that there is a bit of freshly ground black pepper in them -- You put it in with the melting butter and chocolate at the very beginning. The oils from the peppercorns really come out that way, and it gives the brownie a bit of a bite that is unexpected. Yum.

Ode to a Stitch Holder

Okay well I didn't really write a poem or anything, but this little silver stitch holder was such a pretty sight to me that I wanted to share it with you, tonight. You see, it has 71 silky soft alpaca stitches hanging onto it, which means that I have finished the back of my sweater and am ready to start the second sleeve.

I tried it on (despite the wiltingly oppressive heat) and even though it only goes three-quarters of the way around me, it looks so cute that I can't wait to be finished (and for autumn.)