A Quick Interlude

In my last post I mentioned a new cast on. After finishing the WIPs I was rushing to finish it and then came to my senses and knew I would be cutting it very close to finishing on time so I took a break. (And it turns out I had the date wrong for the next meeting and I had an extra week. The garment is finished in time but also meant I could have waited until I’d finished the WIPs to start it. The only difference it would have made to the WIPs is that I would have finished them earlier in the day.)

Once I realized I better get my act together and make something, I still couldn’t decide what I was going to make, and what yarn I was going to use. I could have made an Easy Baby Cardigan, I’ve only made four of them and without the hood it is a quick knit. But, no, I had to choose a new pattern.

I went for this free pattern - Méabh's Cardigan – I liked the shawl collar and the cable detail. I used the Lion Brand yarn I had used in this blanket. The main colour is Adobe and the contrast is Hazelnut. Neither of these colours were used in the original project. The Hazelnut because I only had one skein and the Adobe because it did not fit in with the other colours.

As it is a free pattern, I do not want to be overly critical but I did not like how this pattern was formatted. It is two columns like most patterns but the rows up to sleeve separation are so wordy that the instructions spread over several (10 or more) lines making them hard to read. Also the bottom ribbing was not symmetrical, which if I was not in a hurry I would have corrected. And a minor point, I did not slip the edge stitches as stitches are picked up along the edge for the bands.

I purchased the buttons at a yarn store when I was out with friends last week. They were available individually so no angst over being able to find the right number at JoAnns, plus I’m sure they were cheaper. And, I got them before working the buttonholes so I was able to make the buttonholes the right size.

I am happy with the finished item and hope the mother likes it.