Look at that sweater. It doesn't do you any good. You know why? Because you have to touch it to experience it. It's handspun, handpainted, 100% angora. You could touch a cloud and it wouldn't be this soft.
I'd been craving this Malabrigo angora ever since I first saw it at Fringe, probably six months ago. I was good for a long time. Also, I couldn't think of what to do with it. It's absurdly expensive, but Fringe finally offered it at 15% off. Still, we're not going to talk about how much the whole sweater cost.
Luckily, after I foun the right price, I found the right project. Veronica had made an adorable sweater for her daughter based on the ballet T, but with sleeves and a pocket. Well, I didn't need a pocket, but the ballet T was the perfect design. You know I love that pattern. I've never come across anything that goes faster or uses less yarn. So that's what this sweater is. Thanks to the way the angora fluffs out, I didn't even have to double it, which saved a lot on the cost. And thanks to the size 15 needles, I had this whole sweater done in a weekend.
The body really just is the ballet T, but made longer by an extra skein. The stitches you would bind off for the sleeves are left live. Then once you finish the body, you go back, get those stitches and pick up an extra 5 or so stitches at the underarm and knit to length. This was all Veronica's idea, I totally can't claim credit for it, but I wish I could. The sweater is perfect. It's also extremely warm.
I was going to make myself wait to knit it until all the holiday knitting was done, but I went to my parents' house for Thanksgiving and I couldn't very well knit their respective gifts in front of them. So my secrets are safe, and I have a gorgeous sweater to wear for the holidays.
In summary:
Pattern: Ballet T w/ Veronica's sleeves
Needles: Size 15, 24"circular and set of 5 dpn
Yarn: Malabrigo angora, 9 skeins
Cost: We're not going to talk about that
Time: Two lazy evenings of TV, could have been one if I applied myself
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