FO: Ruby Woo Cardigan

First, I’d like to say thank you. I got a lot of supportive comments and emails from folks about my break and general feelings about everything. I needed to take a step back just for my own sanity and I spent a lot of my weekend knitting and working on other things. I’m still scared about the direction our world is going in but I’m going to do my best to put something positive out into the universe – even if it’s just knitting. Knitting is my stress reliever. And with that I bring you my finished Lipstick Cardigan or as I have renamed it, the Ruby Woo cardigan.

Why Ruby Woo? Years ago when I was beauty blogging I fell in love with one of the few Mac products I’ve ever bought: Ruby Woo lipstick. It’s a wonderfully textured matte red lipstick that looks great on a multitude of skin tones. I’m wearing it in these pictures (and no other makeup – that’s how good it is). Everyone I’ve suggested it to loves it and whenever I wear it I get compliments, so when I saw the skeins of Berroco Comfort in true red at the yarn shop I thought of the ‘Woo’ and knew I needed to make myself a cardigan with that color. The perfect red goes with damn near everything.

The Lipstick cardigan is a high low cardigan pattern that is supposed to be knit with a couple of inches of ease. My gauge was slightly smaller so it fit me like a standard cardigan – which is fine since sometimes bigger things can make me look heavier. I prefer fitted over big. The construction was different, interesting and kept me engaged. I got to use a crocheted provisional cast on and this was a different sleeve construction than I’ve done before.

I substituted the wrap and turns for German short rows but didn’t get it clean and in the absolute perfect way until the second half (so you can see a few little blips in my shoulder on the backside but I had it down by the time I got to the front side). I also opted out of the lace pattern on the sleeve, it didn’t feel like me and I felt like it just didn’t go with the rest of the ribbing on the cardigan. Instead I just knit 4 1/2 inches of stockinette for a simple short sleeve. I could actually see making this with more ease and doing a long sleeve version in a dark color like navy or dare I even say black for fall/winter and wearing with leggings. I’m even thinking about a contrasting color for the shoulder ribbing too. Plus I really like how soft and light this Berroco Comfort yarn is when you’re wearing it. It’s a great weight for a summer cardigan without me feeling overwhelmed in wool.

And the most special part? A few months ago my girlfriend Rachel ended up in M&J Trimmings in NY – if you’ve never been it has every type of finishing for your projects you could imagine. She sent me red and green buttons, the kind of gift only a knitter would truly appreciate and they were a perfect match for this sweater. Now whenever I button this up I will think of Rachel 🙂

And as always, whenever I take a few pictures for the blog, Cher circles me the entire time pulling up on my legs wanting to be picked up. Once I take a pic or two with her she’s ready to get down and go about her business. I think she just wants to be a part of whatever I’m doing all the time, or perhaps she was trying to tell me she needs a red sweater with the skein I have left? Either way, she makes any picture better.