Jaime's Lush Sweater

If you're a regular blog reader, you probably know that Amber and I recently went on a wool-filled trip to Scotland. On the Isle of Skye, we visited Shilasdair yarns where I picked up three skeins of their Luxury dk yarn. This beautiful yarn was naturally dyed with Meadowsweet - a pasture-loving plant that grows everywhere on the island. On our way out of Scotland, we stopped at a local yarn shop in Edinburgh and I picked up a copy of the newly-released book, "Handmade in the UK" by Tin Can Knits. This pattern for the Lush cardigan is one of the many amazing patterns in the book and I knew it would be the perfect project for my special Skye yarn.

Trying to re-create the lush landscape of Skye in Denver Co.

Knitting a project from yarn acquired on a trip is a great way to honor and remember your travels. My new Lush cardigan will remind me of the lush rolling hills of Skye and the great adventures we had there. The color that was dyed from Meadowsweet is the best shade of yellow and is going to be a great addition to my fall wardrobe. The yarn is a blend of wool, angora, camel and silk, so it is super soft, but tight plies mean it should wear well over time.

The Lush cardigan was a quick knit for me. The lace yoke is knit first and then the top and bottom of the cardigan are knit with picked up stitches on the top and bottom band of the yoke. This unusual construction made the cardigan seem to come together super fast. The cardigan features optional waist shaping which I included on my size 33" cardigan. The back of the cardigan is lovely with the leaf lace pattern coming together perfectly in the center back.

I finished my cardigan with metal shield buttons - fitting for a Scottish cardigan. The button band is worked last and you can choose your own button placement and determine the best number of buttons for you. I love my new cardigan - you'll be seeing this one a lot this fall!

We have the Tin Can Knits "Handmade in the UK" book in stock as well as individual patterns for Lush. Unfortunately, you'll have to travel to the Isle of Skye to pick up some Shilasdair yarns. If you can't make the trip, we have plenty of amazing yarns that would be perfect for this cardigan. Anzula Oasis would be the closest in make up as it is a plied camel/silk blend. Madelinetosh Dk and Fibre Co. Acadia would also make lovely Lush cardigans!