I’ve been feeling really unwell all afternoon.  I tried to take the Volvo to work today (because it has heated seats… it was 15 degrees when I left, which is really unusually cold for Kentucky) and it made it to the end of the street before the check engine light came on and it began acting as though it were stuck between neutral and drive.   So Marc came and rescued the car and I took mine to work… but I think being in the cold made me get a terrible headache, and while I love my students it isn’t really any fun to listen to people sing high notes while your head is throbbing.  I’m kind of afriad that I might be coming down with something.

I tried to take refuge in my knitting, but I’m feeling really uncertain about Ariann.  I’m not sure at all about the size.  I tend to buy all my cardigans small and wear them buttoned only at the top or in the middle.  Plus I’m having trouble keeping up with the pattern – I got to the decreases this afternoon and got totally lost in the pattern.  I ripped back a little and reset, but now I’m just not sure.  I’m worrying that the sweater won’t really be that flattering on me, you know?  I think the design is beautiful, but I’m not enjoying the process.  I’m tempted to set it aside and start on something that will make me happier (Sahara maybe?  It’s February already, it’s got to start warming up sooner or later!)  I also am getting wool for the Nantucket jacket, and that could be a possible start on Thursday.  I’m really feeling the call of spring knits right now, and I can’t get interested in anything warm and wooly.

And then there’s the new interweave coming out.  The website has updated with better pictures of the designs.   My favorite is officially the Swan Lake Cardigan.

I *heart* puffed sleeves.  And this is so feminine and pretty – definitely my style!  I’m noticing a lot of reverse stockinette stitch lately.  This sweater has it, as well as one I (gasp) bought recently.  And the sleeves and lower panel on the cable down raglan are reversed.

I love the dollar and a half cardigan still.  I couldn’t tell from the first photo whether the stripes were in the sweater or her shirt, but I’m pleased with what I see!  I like this cardigan better than Ariann, which should be a sign to me to let Ariann go.

This cardigan claims to be knit in Reynold’s Soft Linen, a yarn which I cannot find any other evidence of, including on the Reynolds’ website.  It must be new for spring.  I’m intrigued by the idea of an acrylic/linen blend.  I would never ordinarily knit with linen because of the stiffness, but maybe the addition of acrylic would help, the way it does for lots of cotton yarns.  At any rate I love this sweater, which fits the model exactly the way I like my sweaters.  I also love the extra long sleeves (and are the cuffs flared?  I love that!)

Interweave’s newsletter says they’re trying to use better photography, and these photos are certainly evidence of that!

Hmm… time to go swatch for something else I think.  I’ve just convinced myself that Ariann should wait.