Finished: Dramatic Lace Wrap Cardigan

This thing fairly FLEW off my needles! And, I am happy to report, the Dramatic Lace Wrap Cardigan by Sweaterbabe absolutely lived up to my rather high expectations for it. I am pleased with the fit, the drape, the color, the feel. I wish computers had Sense-O-Vision so you could reach through the screen and feel this sweater for yourself. I'll wait while you go find some merino yarn at your house to pet instead...

The pattern was really well-written. I followed the directions for the size 35 exactly, but there seemed to be one mistake: in the set up row for the second front piece, in order to get the fronts to match I had to reverse the stitch counts. If I had done it as written, the second front would have had the double lace panel at the top instead of the bottom. Also, I had to read the selvage edge instructions a couple of times, and I think I ended up reversing that too on the second side, so the top edges on both sides would be the same. Other than that, it was a wonderful pattern. Highly recommended.




As with any lace project, blocking was a must. Right off the needles, the fronts were way too short, and kind of hung sadly while the back gapped outward, pushed back by the weight of the front. The lace pattern didn't stand out at all. I wasn't worried, though I did wonder if the back would keep gapping, because I know the power of blocking! Never doubt the power of blocking. I soaked the finished piece in a little Eucalan and warmish water, wrapped it in a towel and stuck it in the spin cycle of the washing machine for a minute or so, then pressed the rest of the excess water out between two fresh towels.

I was a little stumped as to how to block a seamless sweater whose fronts were longer than the width of the back, but I ended up pinning one side closed and the other open, then reversing that after it had dried for a day. Then, once it was nearly dry and the eyelets were staying open when the pins were removed, I laid the whole thing over a drying rack to finish letting all the moisture evaporate.



When I picked up the dry sweater for the first time, I could immediately feel the difference. The drape is fantastic, and the fronts now hang down perfectly, just like the pattern photo! I'm still not quite happy with how I blocked the sleeves...I'll be trying again on those, but I can tell this is going to be my instant fashion pick-me-up. Who can feel depressed or tired when wearing a sweater like this?

I substituted 4 skeins of 100purewool.com Single Ply Merino Worsted in Verde Manzana for the Knit Picks Swish Worsted called for, and it was a good fit for the pattern. I was able to get gauge perfectly. I actually like this yarn at a larger gauge better than I do at its recommended gauge...There are two skeins left over since I ordered six, so I am thinking maybe a Just Enough Ruffles by Laura Chau (pattern photo below by Cosmicpluto).

I also feel a Sweaterbabe kick coming on...I got the yarn (Sublime Angora Merino) and pattern for Cables and Lace Kimono for my birthday last year, so as soon as I finish a couple of other projects, that one is getting made!

Spring Green

Ahhhhh...silky soft single ply merino. Mmmmmmm...copper patina green. Oooooooh...flower lace. Sounds like springtime to me! It's difficult to capture the yarn (Verde Manzana from Purewool) on camera--there is a more rusty yellow-green tinge to part of the colorway, parts are electric green, and parts have a softer blueish green cast. The second (earliest) photo, showing the mock-cable rib raglan "seam", comes closest to showing the variation of color.

This is just flying by--I think partly because of the size 10 needles and partly because the pattern is so well-written that I hardly have to think while I knit! I did agonize for a while over whether I needed to make the sleeves and/or the body a bit longer, but I decided that I like the proportions of the sweater just as written, and as pictured in the pattern photo. So, for the first time ever, I am making absolutely no modifications to the pattern. It's strangely liberating.


I also love that the sleeves are not saved for last! One sleeve is already done, and the other will be done before I move on to the drapy front pieces. Genius! I don't know why I never thought to do that with other patterns--but you can bet I will be doing that from now on. No more getting stuck on the sleeves and waiting months to finish a sweater!