purple cardigan for...someone

Right now I am experiencing untold luxury. Both kids are napping AT THE SAME TIME, I've already got the house reasonably clean, and it's too early to start supper. Not only that, in an hour the sitter comes so I can teach piano lessons. Except that I don't start teaching until next week, so I have a whole 2 hours to myself to do what I want. I could use that time to run errands; goodness knows it's a lot easier to go to the grocery store and post office alone...but I am contemplating doing something a little decadent, like getting coffee and working on my latest sweater. Oh, the guilty pleasure!

In the meantime, I have an FO to show you:



Pattern: DROPS design jacket (available for free here), a simple short-sleeved cardigan with wide garter bands and raglan sleeves
Yarn: Lion Brand cotton-ease, about 2.5 skeins.



Buttons from The Sow's Ear. Cute, yes?

Made for: well now, that's tricky. I intended this to be for my friend's daughter, who turns 6 in a few weeks and just started kindergarten today. I had made her little sister a sweater for her 2nd birthday (this one), and I certainly don't want the big sister to feel left out, you know? She's blond and blue-eyed and would look lovely in this color and style except for a couple things. First, September in Wisconsin is a little too late for short-sleeved anything, so she probably couldn't wear it much. Second, I haven't measured or anything, but I'm pretty sure this is too small. I didn't do a gauge swatch (swatches always lie), instead trusting the label and my instincts...and now, even though I made the size 7/8 size and the gauge for this yarn is supposed to match what the pattern calls for (uh, yeah, no way am I using alpaca/silk blend for a 6yo!), this just looks too small. So I'm going to save it for Anya (who also looks smashing in purple) and I'm going to make this little girl something else instead. Perhaps a hat and mittens, which is infinitely more practical since you can't have too many hats in Wisconsin and kids are always losing those things. Also, there's a chance I'd get something like that finished by her birthday. I may even design something (simple) myself, but it shall remain secret until it's done, just in case her mother is reading this!