A Valentine's Day Treat

It was love at first sight.

 

KnitPicks released a new collection of fair isle inspired projects just over a year ago, and I fell head over heels in love with the Mesmeric cardigan as soon as I saw it.  I'm not ordinarily one to jump in and order materials for a new project right away, but the kit was affordable, so I took a leap. 

 

When it arrived, I was delighted to find that the colors were even more delicious in person than they had been in pictures.  The curious thing is that I don't normally wear red.  It's just not a color I usually feel comfortable in.  So why this cardigan?  Why these particular reds?  Who knows.  Some things are a mystery.

 

Although I cast on right away, working the first shoulder saddle, it would be months before I seriously got to work on my new cardigan.  There was some fear involved, given my past issues with trying to fit myself, and that was no small matter.  Also, I started actively losing weight in April, so trying to pick a size was complete guesswork as I had no idea where I'd end up. 

 

 By the early fall, though, I was ready to commit to a size...and to doing something nice for myself.

 

This cardigan was a joy to knit.  Fun patterns, tricky construction that engaged the brain, and colors that sang.  Once I truly got to work it took less than two months to finish.  It was so beautiful...so perfect...so lovely.  I was obsessed, and knit it up in record time.

 

But then I stalled out for a few months - over buttons, of all crazy things.  Long story short, I finally ordered from an Etsy seller after giving up trying to find anything locally.  To my great relief, when they arrived I found they were even more perfect than I had imagined.

 

I finished it this week so that I could wear it today for Valentine's Day, and I must say that it is quite possibly one of the most perfect things I've ever knit.  Ordinarily, I'm a process knitter - but this may be one time when having the finished product to wear is every bit as awesome as the joy of making it was.

 

My one note on fit - I truly had to guess at the size, and I'm glad I wound up knitting it as I did.  The fit is currently a tad small, but not so much that it's unwearable.  If my size does keep changing, great!  The fit will only get better.  If my size doesn't change, great!  I've seen big name designers tell women this is how they should wear their cardigans anyway.  It works, and that's what matters.

 

Did I mention I'm in love?

 

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

 

Mesmeric Cardigan

by Katy Banks in the 2015 Fair Isle Collection by KnitPicks

KnitPicks Palette - 4 Hollyberry, 3 Oyster Heather, 2 Regal, 2 Rose Hip

(purchased in kit)

Addi Turbo DPN's (oddly, I didn't record sizes....I think as per pattern)

Knitting - February 12, 2015 - October 5, 2015

Finish Work - February 12 - 13, 2016

 

My friends...I think my weird bad luck streak with knitting sweaters for myself is officially over!

 

And to prove that...I'll have a second new sweater to introduce later this week!

 

PS.  Sorry about the dark pictures....the lighting was really bad outside when we took them.  If I have time this week I might rope someone into helping me redo them for you.