FO: Plum Wine test knit

Would you mind indulging me for a bit? Because I have a new sweater and I'm pretty happy with how these photos turned out, considering we had five minutes to snap them in shitty weather.

The sweater is Plum Wine, by Thea Coleman of babycocktails, and I was one of the test knitters. This woman is prolific and has already released a pullover (go ogle it here, and you're welcome) that I want so bad I can taste it, but I'm behind on another cardigan for her to be released later this month. So it's all about patience and self-control and discipline right now. It's not easy.

I made the smallest size and used five skeins of Cascade 220 I'd had in the stash for a while. I actually love the sweater in this yarn, though I have to admit I was pretty tempted to order some 13 Mile (what the pattern calls for) when I saw it on the Tolt Yarn and Wool website a few weeks ago. If it weren't for this astronomical remodeling project that will wrap up in two weeks (we're perpetually two weeks away from being finished, it seems) I might have caved but self-control won out (this time.)

'

This might possibly be the best fitting sweater I own. If I had to do it over I'd have made it an inch or two longer, but then I definitely would have lost that game of yarn chicken, so it's all good.

I love the short-row top-down sleeves (a first for me) and the sloping shoulder detail is perfect.

OK, more pictures.

In case you're at all curious, some of these photos were taken inside by our new bay window, which was finished up recently. The outside (less yellowish) pictures were taken outside on the new porch, which still needs a railing, permanent steps and a landing...but at least there's a roof on it and a doorbell button instead of exposed wires (no actual doorbell yet, alas).

In sum:

Pattern: Plum Wine Cardigan by Thea Coleman (test knit)

Yarn: Cascade 220, 5 skeins in "light teal" (discontinued color) from fairly deep stash (I think I bought it to make a sweater from the very first edition of Twist Collective, if you can believe)

Size: 32" bust

Sticks: size 7 circular and DPNs

Mods: None, aside from adding the same ridge detail to the sleeves as you see on the body above the ribbing and on the yoke

Rating: awesome. Go make one. You'll be happy you did