Étude in Stripes

My next project to share here after our mammoth photographing session the other day is my Étude in Stripes. This is a free pattern by Diana Rozenshteyn and although it only comes with instructions for one size, it is easy to scale up or down by the number of increases you do around the shoulders etc. Fortunately it's easy to try on as you go to get a perfect fit. I made sure mine was roomy enough under the arms as I hate being restricted moving my arms about.

I chose to knit it in Garnstudio Drops Alpaca and Drops Delight. Drops yarns are amazing - they are so cheap and often cheaper due to deals, and are mainly natural fibres. The alpaca in particular is great - I have quite a bit stashed with other projects in mind, it is so soft. The Delight is quite sticky to work with but I like the colour changes of the yarn. Because it was so cheap, I didn't mind breaking into a couple of new balls to match up the arm stripes as far as possible.

Although this knit involved a lot of stocking stitch, it went quickly due to the stripes - it was interesting seeing what would come next. And being knit top down in one piece, there was virtually no sewing up to do which is always a bonus.

The only problem with this cardigan is that the border has a tendency to roll which can be irritating, despite multiple attempts to block or iron it flat. However, it hasn't stopped me wearing it several times.

In other knitting news, I now have 10cm of Boxy knit - yay! And I now have my eyes on the new Veera Valmaki pattern, Coal, which she released as part of her Knit You Advent Calendar on her blog. The pattern may have just fallen into my Ravelry shopping basket...

Finally, today is the last day to get your hands on a free copy of Knit Today December 2013. It is available to download on the Newstand App on iPhones/iPads. I don't usually buy this magazine but like to pick up the odd cheap/free copy when I can. So if you fancy a read later, get downloading!

In family news, we finally got our tree and decorations up yesterday - little J was beyond excited, as we even found two old crackers in the box for him to pull. It's been a really difficult end to a busy year for a variety of reasons, so it was nice to embrace the season and enjoy ourselves for an hour or two. Here's looking forward to a happy and relaxing Christmas.

 

 

 

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