I have finally assembled the backs and fronts of my fair isle cardigan by Kafe Fasset! I am very happy with the fit in the back! And the fabric itself looks beautiful and even:
Unfortunately, there is some real gapping in the front:
Although, when this was laid flat, it measured correctly, giving me one inch of positive ease, the fabric has no stretch at all and somehow with the stranded fabric it does not stretch as far as it should. I don’t know what it is about getting older and getting wider, but there seems to be a correlation that is making my tops increasingly difficult to fit in the bust area these days. I am discovering that fair isle is not nearly as forgiving as stockinette in stretching over the bust area, so I am going to have to repair this somehow.
My first thought is just to wet block the fronts and try to get an extra inch in width on each side. If that does not work, I suppose I will have to knit some front panels.
In the meantime, I have been distracted by all of the excitement of Stitches West. I have only spent a few hours in the market so far, but the yarn is better than ever! This is from Habu:
I bought two samples, one in black and one in white, of this fabulous bouclee yarn with the thought of using it as a textural element in my next Chanel-style jacket.
And the color combinations in the new Rowan Frost yarn are breathtaking—black with elements of pink, green and grey. I may break down and purchase this if I see it again, but so far I've abstained by reminding myself of how much yarn I already have:
I also found some ravishing vintage beads:
It is a good thing Stitches only comes once a year!