In search of the perfect summer cardigan

I am lucky enough to live within driving distance of a beach resort destination that people pay a lot of money to get to and stay at. We take full advantage of this as often as we can in all forms - day trips, overnights, lunches, dinner and dancing. Most of the time you want to dress as cool as possible, and this intersects with wanting to look nice a smidge of the time (I heart Venn Diagrams!). So what if I had the perfect summer cardigan that I could wear over any old cami and shorts, or that I could wear with a maxi dress and maybe I could even wear on a casual day to work with white trousers? And maybe it would have a little sparkle?

 

I didn't have all of this in mind when I went to Tuesday Morning one day before the holidays, but when I saw a pastel sparkley Ironstone Paris Nights yarn, I began to think a lot about the perfect summer cardigan. Fast forward a couple of successfully completed knitted projects, and the cardigan is now at the top of the queue. I had "favorited" many crochet summer cardigans on Ravelry, because most of the airy summer cardigans are crocheted. I chose one and did a little swatch, decided the hook size was too big, and started over with a smaller hook.

 

I took a look and then decided I was crocheting a kitchen scrubbie fabric and that is not at all what I had in mind when I pictured my glamerous stylish self at a beachside venue.

 

It was heavy and scratchy and just yuk.

 

This morning I tried a couple of large knitting needles and had another go.

Much better. Drapy and sparkly and will feel like I'm not wearing another layer at all.

 

I've decided against the drop stitches. It looks like the cardigan would be trying too hard. The plain garter stitching looks more organic and on the 10.5 needles it'll sail along anyway.

 

Since there are few projects knit straight out with this Ironstone yarn (most are knit in combination with something else), I'm kind of on my own, patterwise. I dug out a cotton crochet cardigan I own that fits fine and I'm going to attempt to knit cardigan components that match up with that, although I may forgo the shaping and do a boxy style since I picture this cardigan blowing around in the sea breeze anyway.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

 

 

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