Spring Cleaning.

Oh, HELLO! It's been a while, hasn't it? I took a little unexpected hiatus from blogging. I'm having difficulty managing my energy level. The combination of the changing season and a nasty sinus infection got the better of me. After a round of antibiotics and lots of rest I'm starting to feel more like myself. Still, there's something funky hanging on my immune system and I can't quite shake it.  I'm currently trying to ignore it away. I'll let you know how that goes. In the meantime, I thought I'd better get back to blogging before summer descends and I miss my opportunity to clear my slate of some of the knitting I've been accumulating. 

I'm a year-round knitter, and there really is no end to sweater season, as far as I'm concerned. I'll simply switch from wool to cotton, alpaca to linen, etc... Of course, there's always socks. They're small and manageable during scorching summer weather.  The knitting never ceases. But, there's something silly about showing you a giant wool poncho in the middle of July, I think. Which means, I have a little bit of playing catch-up in front of me.  

Fortunately (or not), May in the Midwest is pretty chilly. Not only do I get to bombard you with finished sweaters, I get to wear them for the duration of the month! This recent addition to my sweater collection is Praline by Gudrun Johnston knit in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (55%Merino, 33%Microfiber, 12%Cashmere). 

This pattern was lovely to knit. The instructions are very comprehensive. The stitch pattern is effortless, without being stockinette, and very easy to memorize. The thing that really sells me, of course, is that there is actual design and technique incorporated into the pattern. The body of the cardigan is knit seamlessly from the bottom-up and the sleeves are set-in beginning at the underarm join- a nice alternative to raglan or seamed sleeves. The little pockets incorporated into the front of the sweater are a cute detail. They aren't overly functional; though, I could certainly hold a few doggy biscuits in them. 

I knit my sweater per the instructions for the size 34 1/2, and I think that I might have been better off knitting the smallest size to get a fit more comparable to that of the modeled version. I'm tempted to toss this into the dryer with a damp towel to see if I can create a bit of negative ease, but that's probably a task left for a day when my head isn't so foggy. What are you up to? Have you already cleaned house of your winter projects in preparation for spring?