Queen Street Cardigan

We're back from market and getting settled back into what masquerades as routine around here. We've got some new things that I'll be sharing with you over the next little bit. Mostly this season is about new colors for us. And the stunning things some of our favorite designers have been doing with them.

The first one I want to show you is Andi Smith's Queen Street Cardigan. It's shown here in Louisville, one of our newest colors. It's a real show stopper! Here's what Andi says about her design process:

I love shawls! I love knitting them, the romance of them and the way they look on people. Sadly, I can't wear them to save my life. I'm round-shouldered and they just slither off and look a bit silly on me. 

Planning for our national trade show, I really wanted to be able to wear a knitted garment, however, Columbus in June can be a bit on the hot side, so whatever I chose needed to be lace-weight. I searched for patterns, and didn't find anything that suited my body type, so, with some rather luscious Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace, I designed something new. 

For a few weeks, I was calling it the shawligan, all the good parts of a shawl, but applied to a cardigan. I dropped the name, but love that it has the basic aesthetics of a shawl. Stunning lace-weight yarn, lace panels that flow into each other and details that pop once blocked like the fan-stitch edging along the bottom and cuffs. 

Unlike a shawl, however, the Queen Street Cardigan, hugs your figure, and is highly customizable, from sleeve length to waist ease, and length. It is designed to be worked as a top-down raglan to give you the opportunity to try on frequently and modify as you go along.

Two versions of it came to market, one long, one short. (More pix to come.The models are in transit.) I tried them both on and they both worked but for different reasons. The long one has that big "wow" factor that a only a mid thigh lace extravaganza will deliver. The gorgeous gold of Louisville didn't hurt either. There was something Downton-esque about it that made me happy. It'd look darling over a pair of leggings or skinnies. 

The shorter version was a little more versatile without losing any of the fun. I hate hot weather but still find myself needing a little something in the air conditioned world we live in. This would fit the bill perfectly without the fiddling that sometimes comes with a shawl. 

I've never been an exclusively cold weather knitter. I knit whatever I want all year long. But, I do understand why some people might not want a lap full of worsted weight wool in their lap when the thermometer hits triple digits.(I'm feeling for all of you out West.) Or maybe you aren't a sock knitter. (You should learn.) This is where a airy lace knit seems to make perfect sense. And this one is exceptional.