A Sweater Journey

 Green Penny yarn

Would you like to go on a sweater journey with me?   I thought I'd take you along, and give you my thought processes. Who knows?  Maybe you'll want to take the plunge with me.

So first decision:  What yarn and what color?  I do my best work on skinny yarns.  I want to use my Penny sock yarn.  Lots of yardage, wears very well, is soft but strong, nice stitch definition.  Perfect.

Color:  the trouble with being a dyer is that I can make any color I want, so the choice is endless.  However, I've been doing a bunch of greens for Sock Madness Forever, and loving them, so GREEN it is!
Needles:  size 3.  Why?  Good gauge and I like working on them. (plus they were handy at the moment.)
Gauge:  approx 6 sts/inch on stockinette.  Not terribly important at the moment because I want to do some patterns, but will become important if I decide to do the sleeves and bodice in stockinette.

Pattern:  At first I wanted to do cables, but lace is so my thing these days and very easy on the hands, so I'm off to play with lace patterns.

Shape:  a cardigan with a somewhat flared bottom, not ruffly, just a wider A-line shape.  Sleeves:  3/4 and also gently flared.  Armhole:  my usual dropped T. 

Size:  38" or 39" at the bodice and ? at the bottom.  I want this to go over a turtleneck so I don't want it fitted, but neither do I want it oversized.  When I get to the armhole, I'll decide whether to make it 38 or a bit larger on the bodice.  I can easily do that by taking off less stitches at the underarm.  I have a Coldwater Creek sweater that I love, and I'll get my measurements from it.

Neck:  Maybe scoop or square.  Don't have to decide until I get to the bodice.

Buttonholes:  No.  I hate making buttonholes and sewing on buttons, so I'll close it with a pretty shawl pin, or maybe I'll bite the bullet and put in one buttonhole at the top and find a gorgeous button.  At any rate, I don't have to decide this now since it would go at the top of the garment.

Trim:  no ribbing.   A few rows of garter and then start the lace.  I may do seed stitch or garter on the bands.  Have to decide this before I start knitting, of course.

A really bad way to take a gauge over my knee.

Off to measure my CC sweater, and then start playing with lace patterns.