Spritz cardigan

After the Wattle Bag and the knitted tote, I thought it time I got into one of the (several) larger projects I have waiting. I have two cardigans waiting to be started - both intended for myself. While the Kate Davies one in English Breeds wool was bought nearly two years ago, it is complicated. The other, in a cotton/alpaca mix looked more straightforward, and, if I can finish it before Christmas, could be put to use, if not in summer, at least in Autumn 2026 (that, remember is March-June here in Australia).

The yarn, as you can see, was in hanks. It is several years since I used my swift to wind yarn. I looked everywhere for it, taking my craft cupboard apart, doing a bit of sorting as I went about it. No sign of the swift, but the cupboard is a bit better organised.

The simple Amish swift I had bought at the Yarn Trader is no longer available in Adelaide. From the information on websites it is either discontinued or out of stock. In the end, I sourced another one in Victoria and paid for express delivery. Ordered on Sunday, it arrived on Tuesday. I set to work immediately. Over the next three days I wound all 7 skeins.

It was only on the sixth skein that I worked out that, rather than working from a lounge chair, with the swift on the floor, it was far more efficient to have the swift on a table, at the same height as my hands - fewer tangles and no yarn working its way off the pegs.

The pattern was not as straightforward as I had expected. There are textured bands running horizontally throughout. The sizing is not generous. Measurements are only given for the bust, not hips.While the largest of the three sizes covered is right for my bust, the calculation I did, based on the recommended tension and number of stitches, suggest it is not likely to fit my hips. As it is knitted in rectangles, adding width is unlikely to cause problems. However, given that each of the given size difference was 8 stitches, I added 24 stitches to make sure. It was likely, therefore, that I would need more yarn.  Each of the three given sizes recommended an extra skein of yarn. I figured I would need at least one, and probably two, extra. 

Again, the Crafty Frog in Canberra, where I bought the yarn, has no stock left. Eventually I sourced a supply in Tasmania. I wondered if I should wait to see how much I got knitted from each skein, but since there were few places with stock,  I ordered two more skeins straight away. 

It took a while to figure out how to create the textured band. Once I worked out that Purl=ridge means  'use a row of purl in a knit row', I was underway.

The first ball ran out at 28cm. At that rate, I might have managed without the extra skeins if I'd been careful. As it is, I should be able to add another 15-20com to the length.

I'm posting this well before the project is anywhere near finished, My plan at the moment is to keep going until I have used two balls of yarn and make that the armhole insertion point (provided, of course, the extra yarn arrives!).

Now I know how it works, it's fairly easy knitting. It is, however, relatively fine, so doesn't grow quickly.

I will probably not post again until it is finished. That's certainly weeks, maybe months, away. In the meantime, I've been winding skeins I have in my stash. I've added two more balls to this pile since taking the photo, but the swift is now packed away to use the table for a family dinner. I've found patterns for these, but they are jobs for a much later date!