The Frenzy continues . . .

Yup, another FO to show. Get out of the ol' girl's way, she's a barreling through projects left and right!

When I purchased the ribbon yarn for the cardigan, way back when, I also purchased enough green for a shell, too. Of course, when I finished the ribbon cardi, I figured I might as well continue torturing myself with this blasted yarn and finish the shell, too. After all, the yarn and patterns were bought to go together. And the sooner this wicked stuff was out of my stash, the better!

However, when I went hunting for the shell pattern, it was nowhere to be found. I know it's somewhere in the black hole of a pattern stash but when I couldn't lay my hands on it immediately, I went to plan B. I just made up a pattern on the fly.

(Oh, yeah, I'm that impatient and anxious to keep going ahead that I'd start without a pattern!)

I took the gauge measurement from the cardi and calculated the circumference and cast on. From there, I just winged it. Starting with ribbing, because I hated the way the cardigan hem rolled, I knitted and purled and pondered and visualized. When the ribbing was about 8 or 9 inches long, I decided that I didn't want ribbing all the way to the shoulders, so I switched to stockinette stitch. Then I decided I wanted the shell to cinch in around the ribs, just under the bust line, so I threw in some eyelets. When I reached the length I wanted to the arm hole, I just pulled out a magazine, found a pattern with similar gauge and modified their armhole bind off instructions to fit this shell. I hadn't decided on a neckline until the last minute. I suddenly realized that a square neckline would be unusual, so I figured out how many stitches I wanted for the straps and bound off the rest.

Continuing to measure and hold the shell up to my torso, I just continued the straps until they were long enough and then bound them off. I finished the back of the sweater the same way, except the square neckline is much higher. I figured I could wear it both ways, low neck or high neck, depending on my mood.

Instead of the full shells around the neckline and armholes (as I did on the cardi), I opted for a simple crocheted picot. A length of crocheted chain for a belt and another FO flies off the needles.

Another design note, I can use different color belts and add coordinating flower pins and other embellishments, if I feel like it. It will look nice over other shirts for fall and winter as well. I really think this is going to be a versatile piece.

Not bad for winging it, don'cha think?