Nibbling Along: Sundara Strikes Again

Sundara really needs to stop dyeing yarn (just a little break, please!) so I can stop buying more and finish knitting what I have.

The downside of falling in love with a beautiful sock yarn is that when you knit socks, your beautiful yarn ends up on your feet. Sure, it performs the admirable service of keeping your toes warm, but if you wear your handknit socks often, they inevitably begin to age and deteriorate, and gradually pass out of existence having been truly appreciated by one or two people. Don't get me wrong -- I'm all for knitting socks. I'm just saying that sometimes, you really can't help wanting to go up to everyone in the entire world and say, "Look! Look at how pretty this is! Touch it! Isn't it pretty?" Which might get you some odd looks. (Then again, maybe this would be a great strategy for bringing about world peace. How can anyone fight if everyone is distracted with pretty yarn?)

Of course, sock yarns are also great for scarves and shawls and stoles and hats and cowls and gloves, which give them a better opportunity to beautify the world. But sometimes...you need to up the ante. For that, you need a sweater. When I got my Sundara Artist's Choice yarns in the mail, I was completely bowled over by the beauty of the Royal Touch colorway. It called out to be knit into a larger project. So, I knit this short-sleeved cardigan. It only took two skeins, plus a little bit of another great Sundara sock yarn, the "Arabian Nights" colorway.

The weather has been pretty gloomy here, and the photos don't come close to capturing how pretty this yarn is. But I'm really happy with how this came out. I kept things simple, to let the yarn shine. I knit it from the top down, so it would fit exactly the way I want it to. And it does.

I've already cast on for another one, using Sundara's other fingering-weight yarn, a merino/silk blend. I took some notes when I knit this first one, but I'm doing better this time so I can write up a pattern. I'm also planning on knitting a coordinating camisole, and offering a couple of different options for the hems and edgings.

So if you've got a sock yarn that is calling to you that it MUST be knit into something the whole world can admire, stay tuned.