FO Report: KnitPicks Palette Fair Isle Cardigan

Pattern: Palette Fair Isle Cardigan by Kathleen Taylor, exclusively for KnitPicks
Yarn: Palette by KnitPicks. Twenty-eight colors total; every color available except white and cream
Needles: KnitPicks circulars size 2 and 3, bamboo dpns, size 2 and 3.
Started: October 2, 2006
Finished: March 9, 2007

Modifications:

• Instead of K2P2 ribbing, I used Meg Swanson's "Purl When You Can" method.


• I also knit three rows instead of two of the solid color bands in between the pattern bands to add length to the body.


• On the sleeves for my size, you start out with an odd number of stitches, decrease 2 stitches per row on the decrease rows and are supposed to end up with an even number of stitches. On my first decrease row, I decreased one stitch only, so I would have an even number of stitches from that point forward. This was really important to me, as most of the patterns are based on a multiple of two stitches.


• I think the only other modification I made was to do an I-cord bind off on all the edges. It made the pattern a little less visible on the button bands, but that doesn't bother me. I really like the finished look it gives the edges. I even went back and picked up stitches around the bottom ribbing to add the I-cord there.

This was really a lot of fun to knit. It was a lot of stitches and rows, I think my size was around 330 stitches per row, but the color changes made the knitting go really fast. The steeking wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and honestly, I wasn't nervous about cutting the knitting open. Before I did it I read Euny Jang's Steeking Chronicles very thoroughly, and decided to go with the crocheted reinforcement. I single-crocheted up and back down the center of the steek, and cut it open between the crochet. Then folded the cut edge to the inside and picked up stitches for first one sleeve, then the next and finally the button bands. I did cut one steek at a time, so there wouldn't be any undo stress on the cut edges before I was ready to work with them. Once it was finally finished and the remaining ends woven in, I loosely whip stitched the steeked edges down to the inside, and then gave it a Eucalan bath in my kitchen sink. After a good day and a half of blocking, it is ready for wear! One final note, I did the recommended buttonhole of YO, K2tog, and it looks like it's going to take a very small button to fit through that hole. This doesn't really concern me, as I rarely wear cardigans buttoned, given our mostly mild Oklahoma weather.

This counts as my second sweater for the Sweater a Month KAL. Yes, I'm a little behind, but have another nearly finished sweater waiting patiently, and then plan to really zoom along once tax season is over with - six more weeks!