aidez

i suddenly went from having multiple knitting projects going all at once, to having none! that means i'll be updating my ravelry projects soon, and here's the first to be added. i had been working on this aidez cardigan on and off over the last couple months and just finished it right before my sister came out to visit last week. it was my first official cabled project, and i'm hooked. it's a quick knit with bulky yarn, and the cabling keeps this an interesting and engaging project. i talked to a couple different people about sizing beforehand who gave me some fantastic tips on lengthening the armscye. the only problem is, once i got started, i completely forgot to follow their instructions and the sweater is just a teeny bit snug through my shoulders. this was nothing that blocking couldn't help, but i'm still kicking myself for not making it just a bit bigger all the way around.

i substituted Cascade Eco Wool in Taupe for this pattern, ordered from Jimmy Beans Wool (since my local store didn't have it), and got the perfect gauge using a size US 10.5 needle. i think this pattern would be fantastic knitted in the round and i even started out trying to tackle translating the pattern to do it, but for my first time cable knit, i scrapped that idea early on and just decided to knit, then piece it together.

i had been knitting two-at-a-time magic loop socks as one of my multiple projects and decided to use the that method to knit both sleeves and fronts at the same time, flat. i don't know why all sweater patterns don't have you do this! it's such a wonderful technique, especially when you're pattern knitting and can make all your decreases, increases and cabled stitches on the same line, just on two separate pieces. it also prevents the "i've got to make another one of these?" dread. i think from this point on, this will be how i make all my pieced knits.

i highly recommend aidez, taking into account that you might want to lengthen the armscye, or just knit a size up from your measurements depending on how you want this cardigan to fit. i say this about every sweater i knit, but i'm so tempted to make another!