This was my 6th sweater completed in NaKniSweMoDo09.

July 4, 2009 -- Finished and blocking! I am pleased with this. I knit the yoke twice - the first time I did the first decrease before beginning the colorwork pattern, but that made it too tight. Should have listened to the immortal EZ and waited until halfway up the yoke before decreasing. The problem: only two smallish balls of the main color left, and was using it double-stranded and still needed to do button bands and finishing work. So the second time, I knit the first colorwork pattern band, then did the first decrease, and added a few more spacer rows than the original pattern called for while working in the remaining decreases. It worked because my row gauge was bigger than the original. At the suggestion of a friend (Thanks, AuntyJ!) I included a vertical stripe of one of the yoke colors on both button and buttonhole band to make sure I had enough of the main color. I used the one-row buttonhole technique for the first time, and it worked well. The buttons are not a perfect match, but they were from some of my late mother’s clothing (also the source for the Ohio Rose quilt in the backdrop of one of the pics), so they have sentimental value. Every bit of yarn used in this sweater came from my thrift store shopping.

It is more snugly fitted than I am used to (I came of age in the ‘80’s, the era of big sweaters) but it looks good, I think. And… bonus… I can finally do Kitchener stitch!

Challenge: how creative can I get with thrift store sweater yarn? I want a beautiful, well-fitting cardigan with stunning colorwork, and it has to be finished quickly, for the NaKniSweMoDo competition. And I have to do it the EZ way, without a super-specific written pattern. And I hope I have enough of the main color yarn.