Keeping toasty

Friday brought a storm that blew all our warm weather away. While the day has been mostly sunny, it's quite chilly with a stiff breeze - the perfect day to put a roast in the slow cooker, make a pineapple-upside-down cake for dessert and then do nothing but knit.

Or hang out in a sunbeam if you're a cat.

With the hat in a time out, and the socks as my travel/lunch knitting I got the urge to cast on and it was too much to resist. But what should I start?

Hitofude is still on my to-do list

 And the Desert Cat I set aside for it is just so scrumptious!

But, a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law and I were browsing through cardigan patterns and came across Old Town

 Another Carol Sunday pattern. It's the perfect kind of cardigan for this weather - and I have the perfect yarn for it...Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patine in "Damson".

Decisions, decisions....

In the end, Hitofude won out. I recently got a new dress and it's in need of a matching cardigan.

The warm grey-brown of the Desert Cat (Colour is "Dormouse") is just perfect for it. And I love the yarn. We haven't been able to get any more from our supplier (though I hope that will change) and it's the last of the skeins that I squirreled away for myself. A blend of Baby Camel and Silk, it's absolutely decadent. It's soft, has a lovely sheen and the faintest little halo.

It's not going to be a quick knit though. Like Eve's Ribs, it's knit in one piece, side-to-side, so the rows are long. It currently takes 2 hours to complete a full pattern repeat (eight rows). And there's increasing to come, so it's just going to take longer.


I'm only making one mod (so far). The pattern as written, has columns of purling between the lace arrows. But that means I have to pattern on both sides... and I'll admit it, I'm a lazy knitter. I want straight purl-back rows!

I'm off to Mom's tomorrow to dye some yarn. But I'll be back with the winner of the Spring Garden Collection contest then - stay tuned!