I'm liking this, liking it very much.

Only two weeks ago I was hunting through my stash of 4 ply/fingering weight yarn to find enough colours to take to a colourwork workshop. I knew at that stage that I really didn't like to knit with thicker yarn, and even though the instructions were to bring DK, or light worsted. Here in New Zealand DK is the term used to identify what American knitters call light worsted, weirdly New Zealand knitters also know that kind of yarn as 8-ply, even when it usually has two or three plies. Surely the world is a strange one when one thinks about things.  So there I was two weeks ago, out to avoid knitting with yarn that thick. Fast forward to this week, and here I am rather enjoying knitting with DK yarn, to the extent that I've not picked up any other project since this one was cast on.
I think I'm learning a lesson here, not to dismiss yarn by weight alone ... that possibly I enjoy knitting with a larger range of materials that I think I do.

Here is my darling daughter, looking for all the world a bit like a drowned rat. Today there were  swimming lessons after school and this photo was made shortly after we returned home - hence the damp locks. I started this on the 17th of March and lready the cardigan body is almost done, I'm working the ribbing and feeling rather pleased  with the wee shoulder puff that the lace leaf pattern results in. There will be sleeves, and front bands and buttons and button holes, and a neck band, and at this rate soon. The cardigan is designed to be worn with little cubs range of sweet dresses, which have gathered skirts, a slim bodice and a natural waistline. So I'm choosing to make the cardigan slightly longer than the bodice ... so it will look like it belongs with the dresses.

I've designed this with a bit of negative ease, so the cardigan will hang open if not buttoned up, when buttoned up the cardigan will be a slim fit, as well as almost short waisted. Now I intellectually know that that might not be a sensible choice for a growing child, to make something with no growth room factored in, but part of me doesn't care. This is knitting up so fast that I feel happy to knit another should it be outgrown. I figure I'll be done with the ribbing around the hem tonight, and have picked up for the front and neck bands. The sleeves should be well under way by the weekend so the end is well and truly in sight.

Excuse me whilst I go and knit some more, with this weight yarn things grow so fast that I'm considering how quickly I could knit something for me if I use thick yarn.

cheers
na Stella