I Seem To Be On A Black Bender!

Yes, I realise that the colour of my latest make is anything but interesting but I am trying to concentrate my efforts on need and not just want.  It is somewhat of a delicate balancing act injecting colour into my wardrobe and banishing the black when practicality and lifestyle often dictate that black is the best option which is probably why, at this time of the year, the streets are awash with black.

Miette is a free knitting pattern by Andi Satterlund and has been popping up on blogs everywhere of late.  What drew me to the pattern was theshaping at the waist.  I tend to find anything with waist shaping suits me best so why should a cardigan be any different.

The black wool I chose to make my Miette out of is  Lincraft Superwash which I picked up at Lincraft's 50% off sale at the end of last winter for a mere $30.00.  I have to say, it proved a pain to knit up though.  Firstly, the wool is 8 ply and the pattern is not so I had to knit it to a size 42.  I then had to lengthen it significantly.  I also found knitting the sleeves in the round impossible due to the length of the circular needles I was using.  This is my first attempt at knitting in the round and I am a bit clueless.  Do circular needles come in different lengths?  I know the overall lengths differ but what about the needle part?  Anyho, my solution was to knit from side to side and seam it underneath the arm.  If I hadn't told you the seam was there you would never have noticed!  My second issue was knitting black at night.  Must saying, I am not a fan!  My next project I promise you will be easier on my poor tired eyes!

Overall though, I am pretty happy with the results and my new cardigan has already had quite a few wearings.  Unfortunately the wool I chose is perhaps a little too soft and I am concerned it may not wear very well which is a shame given the effort that goes into knitting a garment.  Time will tell!