This little cardigan is a festival of moss stitch and shaping with a little cabling up the front. The complex shaping of the two front panels more or less eliminates the phrase "mindless knitting" from this pattern. I physically had to write out the row by row instructions in order to make sure I got all the increases and decrease correct for the fronts.

However, the moss stitch on the back and sleeves (which are quite drapey and commodious) will probably seem interminable to most, especially given the almost total lack of elasticity of the Summer Tweed. I started this project out on Swallow Casein straight needles, but switched to AddiTurbo circulars in the middle of the first sleeve to help overcome the moss stitch doldrums that made me store this project in my knitting basket for a long time,

If this project interests you, definitely pick needles that don't have a lot of drag. I swatched with bamboo, plastic and casein and in the end I didn't like the way it moved on any of those surfaces. Also, pick a needle where you can achieve gauge while knitting relatively loosely. Otherwise you will probably end up feeling like you are fighting the yarn for the entire project.

I had more than enough yarn for this project (i.e. the yardage estimates for the size 34 pattern were just fine). Summer Tweed has a very dry feel to it and sometimes it feels like it is sucking the moisture out of your hands. It can be broken easily, but I never had any problems with it, even when increasing into or decreasing stitches.

If I were to do this pattern again, I would make the edgemost stitches of the sleeves, back and side edges of the fronts stockinette in order to make for easier seaming. I also chose to use a fine white cotton yarn to do the seaming, given the poor tensile strength of the Summer Tweed.

I am so glad that I finished this sweater and did not let it languish in my basket. The finish product is fabulous. The fabric has a wonderful drape and is much softer than you would expect from just feeling the yarn on the skein. It's also surprisingly warm -- silk is an excellent insulator even if cotton is not. The moss stitch fabric also holds it's shape well, even after a day of wearing. I suspect that the silk fibers do prevent the cotton from succumbing to the forces of gravity somewhat.

I would definitely recommend this project if you like Summer Tweed and have the fortitude to bull through all the moss stitch. The pattern in Rowan 33 does take a little reading and thought to make it through, but I found no errors that would complicate the process. This sweater is definitely going into my "favorite casual" sweater pile