Swirl Cardigan

The swirl cardigan which I've been working on since late May is finally finished, or at least the knitting is.  It is currently sat on the dining room floor, pinned out and blocking.  As far  as I can  recall from last time I made one, it will take several days to dry but I couldn't wait to post about it.

I love these cardigans as they are easy to knit, if a bit time consuming given the sheer number of stitches, particularly in the outer ring, which in this case has over 600 stitches in the first row.  But most of all they are the most fabulous shape to wear, and go with almost anything you care to wear them with.  I already have the yarn for my next one.

I will post this in two  parts; the just finished and blocking shots today, and then, once I've got it sewn up, I will try to do a post with me wearing it.  I am rather hoping this will be dry by Wednesday so that I can take it to knit night to sew up.  Not only does someone there really want to see it in its unsewn state, but I was rather hoping one of the more experienced knitters might teach me how to sew it up properly with mattress stitch as despite a fair few attempts at using YouTube to learn this, it is a skill I haven't yet mastered.  As the seam can be seen from both sides due to the construction, it is crucial that its sewn up invisibly and not in my usual lumpy and ham-fisted manner.

This version is blue faced leicester aran  which I dyed myself with Wiltons icing dye in Christmas Red.  Although I used two entire pots of the dye, I didn't get quite the depth of colour I'd planned on but I think this came out better than planned in terms of colour as it seems to work with more items in the wardrobe than a darker colour might have done. 

The pattern is Plum Perfect but I did four welts of eyelet on the main circle, as shown in the close up, following the instructions for the Tangerine Rose pattern, which does include this stitch pattern.

 And here is it, damp and with its blocking wires in place.  I've got it in front of the patio doors in the hope that some sunshine will come along and dry it off.  But the weather isn't co-operating.