Julie and I did something that we haven't done in what seems like forever: we searched out a yarn store and met for some shopping and chatting. At one point in time, it seemed like our mission was to visit every possible store in the Chicago metro area. There was always something new to see. After a while, though, that changed. There's really only so much yarn being made, and it becomes harder and harder for any individual store to raise the novelty factor. I think it's been several years since we actively trolled a yarn store together, but last weekend we wanted to get together, and the best option looked like a yarn store. Julie found Knitch in Downer's Grove -- notable for the presence of an espresso machine. It turned out to be a lovely store. And while we didn't get coffee (which, if you know us, is the most surprising part of the day), I did bring home a new project and the new Rowan (which is fabulous!).
The project is this:
The High Line cardigan from Takhi's newly published Urban Organics book (there are actually several nice pieces in this book, making the purchase price a little more reasonable). And the yarn is this:
Takhi's Good Earth Cotton, a cotton tape yarn with a lovely hand, in a peachy neutral called "adobe". The sweater is worked on US 10.5 needles in a K1, P1 rib, making for simple knitting. I swatched by knitting up the front left portion of the sweater and my gauge appears pretty much on target. To be honest, I always have a hard time really estimating gauge on a ribbed fabric, and while it looks about right, what really convinced me was that the texture and density of the fabric seemed "right" for the yarn.
The feel of the fabric is soft and sproingy and I was pleasantly surprised to find that knitting this yarn is very easy. The tape format gives it a little more elasticity than you normally expect from cotton and I like the ribbony texture that is visible in the fabric. The left front knit up in no time at all (in fact, I've already cast on for the right front). The one bit that makes me particularly happy is this:
A tubular cast on. While it's more effort than a long tail, the look it creates for a K1 P1 fabric is so polished looking that it makes it seem negligible. It's probably my favorite cast on in terms of the beautiful finished look it creates.
I've chosen to make the medium size sweater -- its only a 36" bust, but for this sweater, 40" would be way to much easy on me, and since it only buttons at the neck, instead of all the way down, it should be good. I'm hoping that I can get it knit in time to enjoy it as an end of summer piece -- I think it would be just perfect for when it's a bit too cool for a sleeveless top, but I'm not quite ready to pull out the fall garments yet.
Very cute. I love the single button look for cardigans, because even in a highly air conditioned building I don't tend to button them all the way up. Also, the simple look of the 1-1 ribbing allows for you to wear a lot of different pieces underneath, which cannot always be done with a fancier knit.
I'm glad you made it out to my neighborhood. Knitche is my LYS. It's a very nice shop. The yarn you bought looks like fun.
That's a very neat tubular cast on. Which method did you use? I usually do the Italian tubular, which is a bit quick and dirty, and doesn't always yield the neatest results.
Looks like an adorable sweater, and I love the color ... as much as I like colors, sometimes, neutral really is the best choice.
Agree on the tubular. Few things in knitting reward a bit of work so thoroughly.
The next time you are looking for a knit shop in the Chicagoland area to check out, try Knit Happens. It's a new shop in Buffalo Grove (intersection of Buffalo Grove Road and Dundee).
Looks like that's going to be a very flattering sweater for you--good for wear over sleeveless things. Looking forward to seeing it when it's finished.
That is wonderful you both had a fun day out.
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