After making the Child’s Play Day Cardigan and seeing how nice it was for them to wear it going out to play, but also how well it worked to be layered when we were going someplace nice I thought it would make a great cardigan for a woman. Don’t we also want things that are versatile to wear in different situations, from going to get groceries to dressing up for work or church? Don’t we also want something that looks tailored and well fitting but comfortable at the same time?
This pattern has been a long one in the making. Last winter I first made this cardigan for our oldest daughter, the red head. She wore it all winter and into spring, and the blonde daughter became jealous. So, a cardigan for blondie was added to my project list.
For blondie’s cardigan I used Premier Serenity sock yarn in soft white. Just like red’s, the front panel is in a textured stitch that is created by slipping every other stitch for two rows and having the yarn go over the stitch. On the third row the stitch with the two yarn overs are knit as one, and the stitch that had been previously worked is slipped with the yarn going over it. It is a brioche stitch for hand knitters, and called a tuck stitch in machine knitting. It sounds complicated, but is easy to do. It also is easy to read your work once you realize what the pattern looks like on the needles. The only down side is that it takes more rows and yarn to get the length you need. The upside, since you are really only working every other stitch it goes quicker than you think.
As I was crocheting the Calla Lily Bouquet, I started day dreaming about the reception for my sister’s wedding. After the ceremony at the church we planned to go to a Mexican restaurant that the priest (who is Mexican) recommended. My sister had two requirements; she required great margaritas and a Mariachi band to add to the festive ambiance.
Knowing my sister would have a strapless wedding dress, I wanted to make her something to wear in the restaurant in case it was cold. I knew it shouldn’t be a heavy winter shawl since we would be in Texas over the summer. Also, something too heavy of weight wouldn’t pair with the elegance of her dress. So, I determined lace it would be.
Last year I was on an architecture tour of the Wayne State University campus in Detroit, MI. Part of the tour focused on the buildings that were designed by Minoru Yamasaki. He designed four buildings for the campus between 1957 and 1964. My previous experience with Yamasaki’s work was from my college days at College for Creative Studies in Detroit where I received a BFA focusing in crafts. The building that the crafts department resided in was designed by Yamasaki around the same time frame of the Wayne State buildings. The four years that I had spent learning and growing in his building had already given me an emotional connection to his work.
Earlier this year, the family and I went to the Ann Arbor Fiber Expo. We came across this local yarn dyer called Splash of Color, and my eye was caught by this yarn that had camo colors with fluorescent orange speckles in it. The sample she had swatched of it I really liked. The camo wasn’t overwhelming it, it didn’t look like mud, and the orange had just enough pop to brighten it up. When the girls saw it they loved it so we bought 2 hanks to make two hats.
As a knitter and crocheter I am always trying to think of ways to wear what I make during the spring and fall. Something that adds just a little bit of warmth, but not bulky or too heavy for just slightly cool weather. For this project I began with the fiber and yarn choice. I chose a yarn that is one hundred percent cotton so that it would be of natural fibers but not have the warmth of wool. The one I use is from Cindy’s Knitting Room in Minnesota and is three strands of 2/16 weight cone yarn. You can order it with any combination of colors that you would like. The one I used is all of the same gray color, my favorite color. With the color and stitch definition that this yarn gives on a standard knitting machine I thought cables would be a nice design feature. Plus, I love the traditional appearance that cables give, and they can give a little bit of structure to knits which sometimes can look a bit soft. Not to mention, cables are everywhere right now, along with fair isle yoke sweaters.
One thing about so many things that are made from yarn is that they tend to be for cooler weather. This super easy and quick machine knit scarf is great to add a little knit softness to any outfit – even in the summer! It can be worn like a necklace, or just draped for a light shawl. Depending on the fiber and yarn thickness you can change what is showcased on this scarf. I have made a light acrylic accessory that has subtle details, but these subtle details are great for projects with art yarn or when you want color work to be the main visual story.
