Dear Misti Alpaca

Kate first asked for a beret for Christmas. But I kind of slacked off and it never happened. Then she said I could make her whatever I wanted. WHATEVER I WANTED. That meant I could get whatever YARN I wanted. I could list many reasons why you are so fantastic and why this pattern (Chickadee Cowl) is in my top 10 of best all around pattern/yarn combination in the categories of easy-ness, high satisfaction rate, fast completion time, and efficient use of one fabulous skein of yarn. Instead:

Enough said

Oh. My. Lord. It's Beautiful

oxox,
nicoleballet

Notes on the February Lady Sweater

Heyyyyyy

Check out my first ever knitted adult-sized sweater! Yea!

Things I liked about this pattern: It was super easy. There's virtually no shaping. The lace pattern is easily memorized. There's no seaming. I got to use Malabrigo.

Things I disliked about this pattern: Sizing was vague between the small and medium. I felt the sleeves were too large and modified them to fit me. Although other people said the button hole directions were easy, I didn't find them so straight forward, so I did my own thing (I figured huge buttons are going to cover them up anyway).

All ladies need large sunglasses

Details on the sleeve reductions:

My arms are about 12" around the bicep. I decreased every row, if you don't want such an immediate decrease (and it may cut down on any sort of bulk around the yolk/sleeve transition), decrease every other row.

Yours will look like this, except you'll be good enough not to get ladders

After completing round 1 of the sleeve decrease, continue the lace pattern on round 2, until the underarm stitches, then ssk, k1, k2tog. Next round is the same except s1 k2tog psso. Round 4, continue lace until last 2 stitches and ssk. Round 5, continue the lace pattern but don't yo in the first half of the first repeat and don't yo in the second half of the last lace pattern repeat (effectively reducing stitches by 2). Round 6, ssk, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. Round 7, ssk, knit second half of lace repeat for first 4 stitches, continue lace pattern until last 2 stitches, k2tog. Continue lace pattern so that first 4 stitches are the second half of the lace pattern, and the last 4 stitches are only the first half of the lace pattern.

I give this pattern a B+. The yarn choice was perfect and I love the finished product.

BONUS KITTY PIC!
Seductive Mew says "Nuzzle me! You know you cannot resist!"