Spritz - my 2026 cardigan!

I set myself a goal not to carry the knitting of the Spritz cardigan, begun back in September into 2026,  I finished the second front on 21 December and began the sleeves the same evening. 

Because I had made the body so much bigger than the drop-sleeve pattern in order to get a very loose fit. the sleeves were much shorter than the pattern indicated.  Even so, as I had a bit to do in the following week, I did not finish the sleeves until 30 December.

While they look skinny here, they are not in fact so. The body is just very large. I was right to estimate at the beginning that I would need extra yarn.  Towards the end of the second sleeve I started the first of the two extra balls I had bought.

I began the left band immediately, picking up 205 stitches from centre neck to bottom band, finishing it in the afternoon of New Years' Eve. The race was then on to finish the right hand band by midnight! Did it matter? Not really, but the idea of entering the New Year with it finished was very appealing.

Before I picked up the stitches for the right hand band I went hunting for buttons. I had been thinking about this as I knitted. These were what I tried. They needed to be large. The pattern stipulated 6 - and my garment was longer than the pattern

This was the one I really wanted to use. It belonged to my mother, saved from some garment - probably a coat - she had, I think, in the 1940s. While it was possibly still in use in the 1950s, I don't remember it. The buttons I remember being around forever. I think there might also have been pink ones.

The problem was, I only had three.

I decided to make do and marked out three button holes, picked up the stitches and knitted while watching TV - not quite making  my midnight goal,  but finishing  at 12.08am, before the end of the Sydney fireworks telecast. 

The buttons, I decided, as I lined them up, could be stitched on later in the day.

So here's the finished product, now folded and in a drawer. It's 30C here today. Even taking the photo, I was too warm! It will, however, as I had originally thought, get good use in Spring and Autumn. 

Unfortunately, there is a ball and a half of yarn left. I could knit a hat - but I'm unlikely to wear it.  At some stage I might come at a shawl, but for now I'm looking forward to some embroidery!