…once again slithering in under the wire on the last day of the month with my knit-of-the-month! For July’s effort I made a new little cardigan. This is yarn that I bought during our hiking trip to Italy 12 years ago! astounding really, I can’t believe it’s been that long! there was a tiny little craft store in Menagio, Lake Como, and that’s where I found it. I posted about that trip on my blog back here…
I’m so thrilled this yarn has finally been realised into a wearable thing, because it’s actually lovely. It is Lang Yarns Maxi Tosca, col. 5706 which is genuinely made in Italy, believe it or not! I was pretty thrilled to find homegrown produce, because souvenir shopping does not always result in such joys, sadly. I bought 6 x 50g balls, and managed to use almost the whole lot while adding one extra pattern repeat to the length. There is just a fairly small quantity leftover.
I chose an old favourite, the Miette pattern by Andy Satterlund; a pattern that since its debut was later rebranded as the Crumb and is now sadly unavailable. Actually the designer has retired all her patterns and you can’t get any of them any more, which is quite sad.
I’ve made the Miette pattern five times now, customising slightly by the time I got to the last one, and referred to my previous notes to make this one the same way. Namely this post. The main adjustment I make is to switch the bust shaping to under the arm. I did include the lacework but kinda regret it, if I’m being honest… in a variegated yarn such as this it doesn’t stand out as much as you’d like, and then when you do notice it it somehow detracts from the loveliness of the colours in the yarn. Definitely something for me to keep in mind for future lacework knitting…
Buttons! is it weird to say the buttons could be my favourite part of the whole thing? yes, pretty weird since I actually think my new cardigan is allover a very satisfying thing. The buttons feels super satisfying though since I made these too… !
so you know I’m trying to use what I have rather than buy anything new… well I hunted through my, still rather large, button stash for nine matching buttons, and even contemplated using non-matching buttons but couldn’t even make that work. I’d almost accepted that I was going to have to head out and buy new buttons but then remembered my modelling clay. Yay! I’ve used this to make buttons before, specifically for this coat here; and even to make the jewellery for my Queen Rutella cosplay, here. I thought I’d been painting them once finished… however was rather thrilled when I realised the final baked colour of them was actually perfect for my cardigan as is. Such luck! I just painted on a clear varnish finish to protect them and bob’s your uncle! SO happy with how they look on my new cardigan.
worn here with a ivory tee, sludgy skirt and tights, all made by me…
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