FO: Copper Cables

I have two finished objects today!
First and most important I finished my Spanish course and this morning I passed the exam with 99.5% Yey for me!!! A month of rest and festivities and in January I intend to enroll into the next level.

And then I have a new sweater to show you. It took me two attempts at it, but I'm fairly satisfied with the final result. I started the sweater about a month ago in November and had almost finished it (body and a sleeve), when I finally accepted the truth - it didn't fit me well, the yoke was too narrow and the sweater kept pulling up my neck and felt uncomfortable. Besides, the cable on the sleeves, which I had chosen from my Japanese stitching bible, was not a good choice for a single cable and lastly, the texture I was getting on my 4 mm needles was a bit too dense and lacked the plasticity I was looking for. So, on the last day of November I took a deep breath and unravelled it.

The new version of the sweater features a simpler, but quite elegant cable - a version of the stag-horn cable, much wider neckpiece and yoke and the sweater was knitted on 4.5 mm needles. As always, after a heavy decision to rip an almost ready sweater, I find myself quite happy with it in the end, as the resulting finished piece is a sweater I'm going to wear and love.

Pattern: Copper Cables (personal pattern)
Yarn: Zegna Baruffa Kent, 100% merino, 200 g
Needle: 3.75 mm (ribbing), 4.5 mm (body)
Time to knit: 12 days (second and final version)

The sweater is knitted top down, with saddle shoulders, straight silhouette, about 8 cm positive ease, split hems and a faux seam at the sides (a single purl stitch).

The yarn, Italian bobbin merino, is very soft and extremely warm. Though the sweater is only 200 g and feels quite light, it is pretty toasty and on a sunny December day like today I felt quite warm without my coat.

The faux seam - I should do this trick more often, as this purl stitch helps with preserving the form of the sweater and against twisting (the body is knitted in the round).

WIP: Blue Cardigan

My first WIP for 2019 is a long promised simple woolen cardigan for Gaby. It's even a bit too simple and I'm wracking my brain to think of small embellishments to face-lift its crude rustic look. Today one of those Russian bloggers I've been listening to lately shared a thought that struck a chord with me. She's knitting a very simple stockinette sweater and she's making a neck-piece that is attached to it in a rather sophisticated manner. According to her with such simple things it is the precision and mastery of the details that make the difference between a beautiful garment and granny's vest. I'm planning to use her idea for the button bands to my cardigan.

My inspiration is this acrylic cardigan, sold by H&M. The yarn I'm using is new to me, Kent by Zegna Baruffa, again Italian bobbin yarn. It is 100% merino, 900 m / 100 g and I'm knitting it in two threads.

Photo from H&M site

I'm planning to add the pockets as afterthought pockets, similar to afterthought heels. I've never done it before, but it should work on the same principle. And Gaby insists on buttons. I bought a handful of brown buttons to go with the brown leather tag, but I'm not quite sure how I feel about them. I'm almost done with the second front and I plan to attach it to the back, using the three-needle method and to give it a good blocking, while I'm knitting the sleeves.
While downtown, searching for buttons, I bought beading wire and crimp beads and I made my first wire stitch markers. It was great fun and the possibilities are limitless. I even feel a bit tempted to try handmade jewelry with beads and wires, so stay tuned :)