Dark and Stormy!

How appropriate is this timing?? The clouds have rolled in and the thunder is rumbling in the distance this morning. Kismet, maybe?

This cardigan is my latest collaboration with the Plucky Knitter. Sarah (that's her) called me a while back and we talked about adding a pattern to one of her Classic club offerings. For those of you who don't know the Classics Club, it's her monthly yarn club in which she comes up with a theme from an old movie and designs a color around it. She hints, but you don't know what you're getting until she sends the skeins and people begin posting in the spoiler thread discussion group! There's much speculation, based on the scene or movie poster Sarah uses as a hint.

This time, she wanted to do a sweater quantity club offering, with a pattern (this is where I come in...) enclosed. The theme was Moody and Broody and Grey, and the inspiration was the kind of cardigans worn by iconic movie actors from the 1940s or 50s. Think about Jimmy Stewart, Fred Astaire - home from work, with a martini and a pipe and pressed pants. "Or.." she said, "You can also imagine the sweater on your Grandpa, years later. And you want to wear it because it's cozy and amazing and comfy!"

So with an image in my mind of Fred Astaire in his classic shawl collared cardigan, and of my Grandpa Irving (these two do NOT always go together), I began playing with motifs in the yarn. The deep gray has an edgy, urban vibe to it, so I found myself thinking classic, but city. Granite. Very 1940s Manhattan. Think art deco building and go with me here.... yes?

I used 3" of ease through the body, so it's not fitted, but it skims your curves, and I designed the length so it would hit just where your jeans do - between the hip and waist. It's knit from the top down though, so you can alter either the length or width for your needs (you can see the lengths the test knitters used on Ravelry, once they all post). I've also included a modification note about how to get a little extra ease in the bust area.

The motifs I used are intended to showcase the yarn, so they're geometric and simple, but a little bit different than the usual cables, and I think that in the gray, they have that edgy feel.

I also had a little fun with the details.

The big snuggly collar is where I went back to Grandpa's sweater. The heavy soft merino yarn is perfect for this, and the generous fold makes me want to wear it and sit in an easy chair.

And if I was to sit in an easy chair and kick back and watch the rain fall in my cardigan today, I'd have a Dark and Stormy, wouldn't I?

2 oz dark rum
8 oz Goslings ginger beer
one lime, squeezed in and sliced on top
Add ice cubes.

For those of you who want the specifics, they are on Ravelry, but here are some basics:


Sizing 32-50

Yarn: Plucky Knitter Merino Worsted 6(6,7,7,7,7,8,8,8,9) skeins. 215 yds per skein
or Plucky MCN Lite 6(6,7,7,7,7,8,8,8,8) skeins - 230 yds per skein.

Gauge: 5 st, 7 rows per 1" in stockinette. blocked lightly.


The actual Moody Broody Club signups will go live tonight, (Sept 8) at 8pm. Sarah's whipping up sweater quantities of deep gray Merino Worsted, which will be shipped along with a hard copy of the pattern. Spots are limited, but there will be a second club offering in a few weeks.

For those of you who want to purchase the pattern alone, it's on the sidebar here and it's also available on Ravelry for $6.50!