Sometimes I still surprise myself when I get so focused in my current knitting WIP and finish that sucker before I knew it! Such was the case with this sweet baby cardigan. It’s a free pattern and with design elements to fit a boy (cables) or a girl (lace). Seamless, top-down raglan construction with garter stitch button bands built into the design, this could not be any easier to knit!

The yarn was a rescue as well. It started life as a pair of socks (Dumbledore’s Christmas Stockings) for the Socks That Rawk KAL on Ravelry. I lost love for the pattern and decided the yarn was too nice to just stuff back in the stash bin.

With babies due from work colleagues soon, I decided to make cardigans. A while ago, my friend Mel made this one for her niece when she tested out a cashmerino base for me and I remember how nice the cardi was. I didn’t even swatch (gasp!) and just went for it. This is where notes, copious amounts of notes, on Ravelry project pages help. Are you listening to me? Yes, you. You who never update your project page with needle size used and number of skeins used and modifications applied to get the fit/size that you wanted. Share your projects and help fellow knitters out at the same time. Okay, where were we? Yes, baby cardigan. With cables! I love the cables, but the OCD in me just had to mirror them. Just had to.

The fabric was a bit crisp for my liking while knitting it, but as soon as it was soaked and blocked to dry, it was so soft, so worthy of a newborn baby’s skin. Of course, as soon as I laid it out to photograph, Luca comes slinking towards it and, at first, sat on a small area and staked his claim on it. He never harms the FO. He just loves sitting on it. Must be the warmth.

And because I have been racking up my REM-deprivation, I had this moment of utter insanity and put the cardigan on Luca! Oh the humilation!, he must have been thinking. But he was well-behaved. He just sat there, wearing the cardigan while I took photos. This, I thought, was the best one. And no, I am not about to start knitting him cute little sweaters and hats with holes for his ears. And for the record, the cardigan was washed again to remove any cat hair.

Aww, we do love Luca. He can be a lunatic sometimes, wailing like a crazy cat at all hours while we sleep or he could be jumping on your tummy while you sleep and sit on your pillow, nestling his bum firmly next to your face! He’s a lot more affectionate now that before. But he still wouldn’t sit inside a cardboard box.