Lana Lace Cardigan

Lest you begin to think that I have been neglecting the knitting...



Pattern: Lana Lace Cardigan by Louisa Harding
from Jaeger Handknits Book JB35 (out of print)

Yarn: Jaeger Siena - 100% mercerized fingering weight cotton
10 skeins (1530 yards) in color 431 Sage
(Jaeger is no longer in operation - too bad as this was one of the nicest cottons I have ever used)

Needles: US 1.5 for the garter stitch trim
US2 for the main body

I ended up charting out the lace pattern which made it much easier to negotiate the various increases and decreases. Other than that, the pattern was well written and I encountered very few problems.

The yarn was very smooth and pliable. I know a lot of people don't like knitting with cotton, but I love it. Used in lace patterns, it's very versatile in garments since it doesn't get too heavy with wear. This is a particularly nice cotton yarn and I'm glad I stockpiled a bunch before Jaeger closed shop. The one big drawback of cotton and other non-wool items is that it's more difficult to join skeins of yarn since it lacks the "grabby" quality of wool. Therefore, it's ill suited for knitting in the round where there are no seams to hide the ends. Which is fine with me - I like seaming. It must be the seamstress in me but sewing up flat pieces of knitting to make up a three dimensional garment is not an onerous task at all. Plus I think seams give a garment some strength especially in the shoulders. Less potential for unsightly saggage.

Yes, knitting with fingering yarn and Size 2 needles takes a bit of time. But it was worth it. I'm very pleased with the finished product. It was fun to make, fits nicely and looks great.