Urban Aran Cardigan

It's finished, and we both love it.

A back shot:

It's the Urban Aran Cardigan - from the Patons Street Smart booklet. The booklet is out of print, but obtainable (at least I found one, on Amazon). Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed adapted the pattern as a man's cardigan.

The yarn I used (Cascade Eco Cloud) was slightly lighter than the yarn called for in the pattern, so I made some adjustments to account for that - and I lengthened the sleeves and body of the sweater, and added the zipper, of course. This yarn is fabulous - I loved knitting with it, and the finished product is great - light and lofty and warm.

Everyone in the house has tried this sweater on, and between the yarn and the ribbing, it stretches or shrinks to fit us all, more or less. Which led to a later modification: I lined the back yoke area of the sweater, so that the shoulders are held to the right shape and size for my son. When my daughter tried on this sweater, she immediately wanted one of her own -- so we have a trip to the yarn store on our to-do list before she goes back to school.

 

Knitty gritty details:

• Urban Aran Cardigan - From Patons Street Smart booklet.  This link is to Amazon.com, but you might find it on Etsy.  Good luck.
• Cascade Eco Cloud, 70% undyed merino wool, 30% undyed baby alpaca.  10 skeins (much of the last skein left) color 1809, dove gray.
• Body knit on a US size 9 needle, with ribbing on 8, and collar on 7.
• 28" Coats Parka (dual separating) zipper.  Sewn in by hand. 
• Yoke lined in cotton/lycra sateen fabric (charcoal, from Joann Fabric).
• Pattern adjusted for different yarn gauge, sleeve & body length.  Front knit as a cardigan.
• On Ravelry here.  

I used a favorite zip-front sweatshirt to determine the sizing on this sweater, and we're both pretty happy with the fit.  My son is happy with the slightly too long sleeves, but wears them cuffed sometimes.  As you can see in the following picture - the Urban Aran in it's natural environment:

He wore this sweater almost all the time we were on a family trip to Seattle last week.   This picture was taken at the Chihuly Garden and Glass at the base of the Space Needle.  This is what he was taking a picture of:

Worth a trip . . .