Yarny Goodness!

As best as I can recreate all my witty quips.

I've been working away on the Shawl Collar Cardigan. I finished the sleeves last week, and now I'm on to the body. The body was written to be worked in three pieces (back, L-front, R-front), but since I can't seem to seam straight, I decided to work it as one piece. So far, so good (except the fact that it's nearly 200 st/row!). Earlier today I realized I'd made a mistake as I worked - for my size you're supposed to decrease 1 st every 10 rows. I've been working decreases every 8 rows. I'm trying to convince myself it will be okay, since I want my sweater to be a little shorter anyway (14.5 inches long instead of 15). No one tell me otherwise!

I took Shawl Collar outside to take pictures - and ran into some of my neighbors while I was out. And then I had to explain why I was photographing stuff on the bench.

It is 31 degrees outside! You should all feel very special that I braved the cold so you could have a clear, color-accurate shot of the sweater. Feel special? Good!

The yarn, in case my babbling doesn't track, is Kathmandu Aran Tweed. I'm sad it's been discontinued - it's such nice yarn. I'll have to try and get my hands on some Silkroad Aran that replaced it.

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I've also decided to take the Eyelet Rib Bandeau from the most recent Interweave and add sleeves and make a cute cardi. That stitch pattern caught my eye in the Barbara Walker treasury, but I wasn't sure the best way to use it. And I love the little picot trim! Some changes, of course: I'm going to knit the button band in with the sweater (I considered adding it in after the rest was done - like a traditional button band - and working it sideways, so that the picots could run up the sides and around the neck, not just at the bottom hem and the hem of the sleeve. But that's a lot of picot-hem to tack down); and I'm going to knit it straight, rather than decrease around the bust (since there will be sleeves I don't have to shape the garment to keep it from falling down). Of course, I have lots of other sweaters to finish first, but that isn't stopping me from looking for a yarn to use. The ebay seller I got all the All Seasons Cotton from has a bag of Rowanspun (dk weight) available. In pink! I wish there was somewhere around here I could get my hands on some Rowanspun first, to see if I like it and if I think it would make a good sweater. I like the Cashsoft DK (called for in the pattern), but I wonder if that wouldn't be too warm? I'd like something in a cotton-blend so I could wear it during the summer and not be too hot if I wore it while I ran out for a cup of coffee or something. There's also Elizabeth Lavold Silky Wool, but I feel like I should branch out a little. Thoughts?