All In a Nutshell

I did it! I actually started and completed a baby sweater in the first two weeks since little VE has been born. I wasn't really aiming for this as a goal or anything, but I'm still happily shocked.

VE is quite the sleeper, and has been from day one. Due to this amazing blessing I had a lot more time on my hands almost immediately after she was born. With EM we were having to constantly waking him to nurse, but VE is an entirely different story. And since my Handsome Hubby was still at home the opportunity to knit was even more prevalent.

I had been eying this free pattern for the little All In a Nutshell cardi for a good while and knew it was time. I had actually planned on knitting it in completely different yarn, but when I found these colors in my stash I knew it was meant to be. I have had a variety of skeins of Cleckheaton Country 8-ply that a dear friend found at a church sale and bought for me. This was way back in 2012 and I never touched it. Now suddenly I've knit through 8 skeins of it in less than a month. It's amazing what you can find to do with random skeins.

The only modifications I made to this sweater was to not knit it as long as the pattern called for. Originally that was because I was running out of my cream yarn, and running out fast. But once I realized how long it actually was I knew it needed to be shortened. In fact I'm wishing I had made the sleeves a little shorter too. But those are easy to roll the cuffs up on, so I'm not about to rip them back.

I did find that I still don't like knitting stranded on a wrong-side row. I'd much rather knit it in the round. But I wasn't about to steek a baby cardigan. Plus the chart for the stranding isn't all that long. And those squirrels are super cute.

I used some vintage buttons on it from my stash. That's always a great feeling.

All In a Nutshell project page