Albini for me

There's something about The Gentle Knitter's aesthetic that appeals to me: soft colors, rustic* yarns, simple patterns.  Despite not producing any podcasts recently, and I sincerely hope her health is improving, Nicole makes choices that make many of her garments timeless.  I've watched her 43 episodes several times and knit many of the patterns she has highlighted, although in different colorways.

One sweater she made, and has highlighted in several of her videos, is the Albini Cardigan by Orlane Sucche.  The first time Nicole showed it on her podcast, I knew there was a place in my wardrobe for it.  I've knit an Orlane pattern before.  She's a whiz at designing garments that fit, or at least fit me.  I needed a cardigan in brown to replace the Tea Cardigan I made a decade ago, which was out at elbows and never quite fit properly.  So this summer, in the midst of packing and bustle, I cast on and knit the yoke in the space of a few days, and then most of the body in another few days.  And then the sweater sat until the end of October, when I realized I was a few inches shy of finishing the body.  The cardigan then became my only knitting when I was at home, as it was too large to be portable. Before I knit the sleeves, I finished all of the edgings and buttonbands.  I adore the shawl collar and foresee using it it a self-drafted pattern or in this cardigan.  I'm so happy with how my own Albini turned out! It's incredibly warm, and I've been wearing it non-stop.

The details

pattern: The Albini by Orlane Sucche

mods: My gauge was a tad off, so I simply picked the instructions that fit with my own gauge to make the measurements I wanted.  For the sleeves I used the instructions for one size smaller than the body.  Instead of the center split hem, I made two splits on the sides.  I was worried that the hem would flip up, so I decreased the body stitches by 1/3 before I knit the braid detail.

yarn: Harrisville Designs Shetland Cone in the color Toffee, held double 
The color is much cooler in person, more like a mouse brown than warm toffee.  I bought three cones and used about 550g of yarn.  I forgot to weigh the sweater before I sewed on the buttons, so that's a rough estimate.  I still have quite a bit of yarn left.

needles:  3.0 mm for the body

                2.5 mm for the edging

                3.5 mm for the sleeves

buttons: purchased from Stockwell Ceramics UK, a shop I really like.  I used backing buttons from my stash.

               

* I dislike this term for minimally processed, naturally dyed yarn or yarn from specific sheep breeds, but can't think of a better one.