A new project.

Now that all the holiday knitting is done I can turn my thoughts to bigger projects. I'm really looking forward to starting something that will take a lengthy amount of time and that I can just work away at. Since I do a lot of my knitting on the ferry commuting to work I need to plan ahead enough to be sure I have a project that is in a suitable state for such knitting. I get a lot done on my commute and so am while doing my small holiday season projects I am constantly needing to find new things to start. I am now ready to luxuriate in a slowly unfolding project.

So what will it be? A long-awaited start on a cardigan sweater. I had a well-loved blue wool cardigan done mostly in seed stitch with some lacy edgings. I loved that sweater and wore it to death, and sadly, finally realized that it was time to let it go. In preparation for this sorrowful turn of events I had ordered some blue mercerized cotton yarn from Elann some time ago but hadn't quite come up with what the design should be. I wanted something similar but not the same as my old sweater.

Over the holidays my mom gave me a Debbie Bliss book, Nautical Knits for Kids, that she loved but knew I'd be more likely to make something from than she would. In looking through it I found one design that, while it was sized for small children had panels of 2 different lace patterns and a seed stitch/cable panel that I knew I could adjust into something for myself.

So I've swatched and measured, figured, and fiddled, and am well into the first sleeve. As each pattern knits up to a different gauge I am using the sleeves as more accurate swatches before launching into the body, especially as I plan to knit the body in 1 piece (no side seams) and I'd like to be really sure what the multiple patterns are knitting up like before I commit to all those stitches. I'm really enjoying having a lot of knitting to look forward to!