Christmas Day Cast on Party

I searched and struggled to find JUST the right knit for the Christmas Day Cast on Party. (If the truth is told, I cast on Christmas Eve but ended up frogging back the ribbing to put it on a smaller needle and am much happier at this point). You know how it is when you have an idea in your head about what you want to knit (or crochet, or quilt for that matter) and you can't find quite the right pattern? I wasn't in the mood to futz with one, although that certainly would have been an option. A cardigan was calling my name but I wanted to knit a cabled one, in that yummy natural wool that gives a timeless feeling. The closest pattern I found was one by Patons, in a size that wasn't nearly big enough. Refer back to no desire to futz. After loads of searching I think I found a pattern that has most of the qualities I've been looking for.

The Alexi Cardigan from Berroco. Not the straight Norah that I had planned but this one makes me smile plenty big. After the pattern had been decided the yarn came next. At the suggestion of my entire knit group I chose Cascade Eco in natural. YUMMY. As Rachel said at the shop when I bought it, it's so nice and "sheepy"!!!!

Photo of the ribbing taken late afternoon on Christmas Day. I can't wait to get the body of the sweater really going!!!

Please note those (chuckle) really clever row counters. As I do tend to be kind of crazy about them, I needed 3. All of mine have run away from home, seemingly together, so I had to pick up 3 new ones and of course 2/3 were the same color. Not phased and feeling quite clever I used nail polish to delineate which marker keeps tabs on what section of the sweater. Rest assured, the lime nail polish on one of the markers has never seen duty.

I am not shopping, not actually leaving the comfort of my home. There is a very strong possibility that I will not get out of my jammies tomorrow but will just relax. Yesterday afternoon when pulling out the little teensy food processor from the back of the lower cabinet I pulled my back. It is not what I'd call a good time and the only thing to do is take ibuprofen and self medicate a bit. Eggnog is, I have discovered, a fine remedy in part!

Get knittin!