I started knitting on the next cardigan during the conference trip to Italy. With a thicker yarn than I tend to choose, and a slightly looser knit, it knits up fast.

The yarn is Drops Lima, a lovely wool and alpaca blend. I love the way alpaca yarn feels.

The design is a very simple one and mostly my own. I’ve been eyeing the Ankers cardigan, but I didn’t like the high neck with no neckline shaping. (Any cardigan design that does not show a single photo of it worn fully buttoned, is probably not going to look good fully buttoned. Knitwear designers ignore neckline shaping and waist shaping way too often, in my opinion.)

Overall a round yoke seems simple enough, and the yoke on the Ankers is just bands of ribbing interspersed with increase rows, and I figured I could do that myself. I’ve knitted enough sweaters now to feel like I mostly know what I’m doing, and the Internet is full of helpful tutorials and guides.

It took a full evening of arithmetic (there are a lot of details that need to line up!) and one aborted attempt that I ripped up, and now I have something that looks like it will work out and fit me decently well. It looks better on me than on the table. Even then it takes a bit of imagination to add the missing details, such as button bands, neckline edging. I hope it all comes together the way I have it planned.