Spring Fever

So there I was knitting away on my Gravel Road Cardigan, when all of I sudden I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a new sweater that I could actually wear at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival?” Now if you’ve never been to the festival (and if you haven’t you really, really should) let me tell you that while it is technically possible that it can be 50 degrees F and raining (which happened one year in the mid 1990’s) it is far more likely to be 90 in the shade (if you can actually find any shade.) A wool sweater is highly impractical. I should know. Last year I wore one. I had just finished my FLAK and I was desperate to show it off to people who would appreciate it. I think I wore it for an hour before I gave up and tied it around my shoulders.

So anyway…. I’ve had this pattern for a lightweight summer cardigan aging in my pattern stash. Then this winter a friend of mine (hi, Pam!) was culling her stash and I came home with just the right amount of yarn for it. Clearly it was Meant To Be. I swatched it up and lo and behold, the gauge was just right.

So I cast on and I’ve been knitting like a fiend ever since. I’m not a huge fan of cotton yarn (love to wear it, hate to knit with it) but this yarn (Filatura di Crosa Brilla) is 42% cotton, 58% rayon. It’s not too bad to knit with, but I do have to be careful not to knit for too long without a break or my hands and wrists start to hurt. It’s very pretty. Of course I never met a purple I didn’t like, but this is a particularly nice one. The yarn has a nice sheen to it. The pattern is Lacey Vee Cardigan (#405) from Cabin Fever. I’m almost ready to divide for the armholes. I’m not making the vee quite as deep. I don’t need to emphasize my lack of cleavage. :-)