whisper.. but shouting too

Whisper Cardigan
by Hannah Fettig
Interweave Knits, Spring 2009
Ravelry Project Page
Lion Brand LB 1878, Natural Heather, 675 yards used
3.25 mm, 2.75 mm, and 1.75 mm needles
Project started: 20090522
Completed: 20090914

I am in love with this cardigan/shrug and enjoy it so much you will probably see it again in a few weeks — I’m going to lengthen the sleeves and maybe finally get around to blocking it. (maybe)

When I first saw this pattern in the magazine I was unsure if it was for me. The front is very pointy and can easily accentuate a certain part of the body which I don’t like to draw attention to. The novel construction intrigued me and I really desired to use my first purchase from the Lion Brand Yarn Studio, LB 1878. This is the project that really hammered home to me the need to pay attention my specific tension needs. I’m now a very loose knitter (words cannot express how this thrills me) and needed to use very different needles than I expected to. It was worth it to knit, measure, rip, and reknit. I’m still not a huge fan of the funky front but that rolls back in and I find this a very comfortable addition to my wardrobe. I was inpatient and made the sleeves short and plan to lengthen them by about an inch and then drop a needle size (or more) to do some quick shaping and make the sleeves more penny-friendly. I did lengthen the back as I have a long torso and find it frustrating that most petite tops fit perfectly .. except for length while other sizes are loose everywhere (and still often too short in length).

So that’s the whispers, now I must shout my love of the LB 1878. First, the yardage is insanely awesome and a great value: 2045 yd/1870 m of 2-ply fingering 100% wool is only $22. It was my first purchase at the studio because it was something very different from other Lion Brand yarns at the time (this was, I believe, the first release in the LB Collection) and I wasn’t sure how often I’d find myself at the studio (you can stop laughing now).

The Natural Heather colourway is almost a semi solid with very subtle changes in the shade and I love it. This yarn is a work-horse and survived no fewer than FOUR froggings of at least a good 3 inches of the first sleeve knitted. I then reknit that again into this cardigan and you can’t tell. The yarn totally lived up to my abuse.

I’m really happy to have a beautiful solid coloured fingering-weight wool from Lion Brand. I love it so much that I bought a cone of Avocado a few months ago and have cast on to make the Featherweight Cardigan and don’t worry. I will buy Charcoal Grey Heather soon too. The reason I haven’t is because I fear I’ll buy several cones worth and I’m trying really hard to knot have a stash and wardrobe “uniform” collection of only grey. ;)

• Category: handmade
• Tag: knit