My Classic Lines Cardigan. :). KnitPicks Cattail Heather Shadow (mc), Shallows Shimmer (cc)

Moving on

Since the Classic Lines Cardigan is finished, it's time to move on. Next on the needles is the Bonnie Kate Cardigan by Erica Jackofsky, available through KnitPicks. I chose KnitPicks Simply Cotton Worsted in Duchess Heather.

First swatch is washed and in the dryer, then I'll see how the initial usage of size 6 needles works out. I'm using needles from the Denise interchangeable set my friends Dana and Roger bought me for my last birthday - first time to use them for an entire sweater. So far so good! I'd never used Denise needles before, being a mostly KnitPicks harmony wood/metal needle kind of gal, but the Denise's are very nice. No snagging along the needle/cord join, and they feel comfy in my hands. Bodes well, indeed!!

Classic Lines Cardigan is done!

This has been a long time in coming. I joined the KAL on May 2, 2009. For a while I kept up with the knitting and was on track. Then, life kicked in, and other knitting projects wooed me away from what was endless rounds of lace weight stockinette. I would put it away for lengths at a time, come back and knit for a bit, only to put it away again. I even had to order another skein of the master color to finish.

But today, I have finished it as it was intended to be: a buttonless steeked cardigan. I'm going to purchase a batch of hook and eye closures so that I have the option of wearing it as a sweater, but I'll also be able to wear a shell under it and have it open.

That it's done is a major accomplishment for me. A steeked cardigan was something I had never attempted before, nor knitting an entire garment in lace weight yarn. I am very very pleased with the results.

It's in a bath right now, soaking away contentedly. I'll block it tonight and buy the hook and eyes tomorrow. If it dries in time, I might even be wearing it on Monday.

Here are the pics of how I applied the front bands and hid the steeked edges, and a shot of it before going into the drink.


Front band, right side of garment


Front band, inside of garment, edge whipstitched down


Sandwiching the steeked edge between the front band folds


Pre-soak. I love it.

I loved this pattern so much that I am going to order another round of skeins for it and knit it as a sweater, no steek. I won't have the contrast color stripe this time, it will be a single heathered color.

Thank you, KnitPicks, Allison Backus, and Kelley Petkun, for a great pattern, yarn, and knit-along.

The crown moulding has been caulked, needs to be painted, and then the baseboards. Door into Roger's room needs painting, then hanging, last door will be the closet door. The closet floor needs to be tiled, but that might just have to wait a while. We are about up to "here" with bathroom reno, and need a break.

aaaaaand.... we're steeked

Whew. Time to call it a night now.

Inside, reinforcing stitches

First cut

More cutting

Completely cut. :)

It fits!

I finished the picot-edged neck, and I'm ready to steek. Well, I will be after I run my stabilizing stitches down the front. But the best part of all this is, when I test tried-on the cardigan: it fit!!! It actually fit like a dream. I'm so very happy.

Happy New Year! Welcome 2011

Let's make this year a great one, shall we?! It's gonna be a wild ride. :)

Got a little knitting done tonight while waiting for the new year to come in. It's the Classic Lines Cardigan that I've been working on for over a year. The KAL is long over, but I'm still plugging along.



I'm ready to do the neckband now, 9 rows with a picot row then 9 more rows. After that comes the steeking!