Yarn Along: A Mushroom Sweater

I've not been knitting a lot lately, as my sewing projects seem to have made the top of the pile, but I'm slowly working on a mushroom colored cropped cardigan, with Lion Brand Wool Ease.  I'm using an Andulusian stitch pattern, which is just varied enough to keep me interested, but not so hard that I can't attend to other things while I'm knitting.  It is basically stockinette stitch with a 1x1 rib worked every third row--easy to remember, and also dead easy to see where you are on the pattern, which I appreciate at this stage of my life.  The color is a little hard to photograph--it has a subtle pinkish tone to it, and the yarn has little black threads twisted through it, so there is a small amount of variation in the yarn that I find interesting.  I think this will be a nice basic piece when I finish it!

I'm also reading Cheap, which is, so far, quite interesting.  I've got lots of things I want to say about it, but I'll wait until I'm finished to discuss in detail.  The first chapter covers in quite good detail the history of discount retailing, and it is fascinating.  Her second chapter is a little more dense, and I'm still working on the third chapter.  I'm hoping that she comes to some useful conclusions by the end, because right now, everything she describes is pretty diagnostic, and not very prescriptive.  

Also: a sneak peek of my latest make.  Another blouse, in a fabric from the stash (but this fabric has history--stay tuned!)   I'll try to get photos later this week and have a more in-depth post on the blouse soon.  This blouse was a bit of a bug-bear for various reasons, but I'm glad I persevered and finished it.  Note to self: do not attempt to change a hacked pattern after cutting fabric, especially when one is working with a small remnant.  But I did more bound button holes, and while they still need work, I think I'm getting better.

The buttons match better in real life--there is a pale green stripe running through the plaid.

Yarn Along