Summer Stripes

My mom flew up from Florida yesterday and she's here to spend a week with me and the girls. Marc just left for an extended trip to Finland, and she thought we'd enjoy some company.

Anyway, I put together a bunch of new sample knitting packs the other day, and I grabbed one for myself. I think with my mom's upcoming trip, I had Florida and warm temps on my mind, because the project I picked for myself is certainly a color scheme that fits right in to a tropical locale!The yarn is called Sirdar Summer Stripes and we just received it last week. It's a machine washable blend of cotton and acrylic, with a long color repeat. We used to carry Berroco Love it, which was slightly heavier and more elastic. We loved Love It, and even though the Summer Stripes is not an exact replacement, it is close enough, so it has a special spot on our shelves.

The colors are fun and there are some really cute patterns for sweaters! A couple of the patterns are sized for both woman and girls. Of course this yarn would also be just perfect for a baby blanket.

I decided to make the smallest size of pattern #9419 (above, center) which is a cropped cardigan with a feather & fan stitch. The color I grabbed appeared to be mostly pinks, but I knew as I started knitting there would be a fun surprise for me. Because I am making the smallest size (28" chest) and the color repeat is so long, I had to go a full 3" before the yarn changed. But look at it now: Pink to green to... I see yellow coming! It's really fun, and I can't wait until I get to work on it again tonight.