Populuxe.

Way back before our holiday trip, I swatched a little swatch. I knew that when we got home it would be the new year and I’d be ready for something fresh and new on my needles. So I wound up some yarn and got to it.

Once we arrived back home, I wasted no time and cast on my shiny new sweater. I started Populuxe, an adorable cardigan by Andi Satterlund. The yarn is from Sweet Sparrow Yarns, in her tweed DK in the Butterbeer colorway. I zoomed right along and before I knew it I was down past the sleeve join and ready to try it on.

I tried it on and… it was too big. Obviously several inches of positive ease through the bust, and that’s before adding a buttonband! I tried to reason with myself that maybe it would fit with the sleeves, but even Kevin said it looked like it would be too big. I frantically checked my stitch counts over and over until I happened to check the needle size and my swatch notes.

Back in December, I had swatched with a 3.50 mm, 3.25 mm, and 3.00 mm – and promptly figured out that the 3.00 mm was the right choice. So, of course, when I cast on in January – I pulled out the 3.25. You wouldn’t think a quarter millimeter would make such a difference, but it was definitely not going to give me the fitted look I was going for. So I frogged.

Just looking at that makes me sad. It took a while to pull it out and wind the balls up. I was alternating skeins and you knit the top in three parts so…

I had lots of little bits to work with. I’ll admit, it took me a hot minute to get back to knitting it. But once I got going on it, it went pretty fast. The pattern is beautifully written and a cropped DK sweater isn’t a ton of kniting.

I finished it in good order and then dithered on buttons for around a month. I finally ordered some and they arrived and I had ordered 6 and not 8. After that, I just bit the bullet and went to JoAnn’s and found something suitable. I do not like sewing buttons on anything, but I got it done.

And now, I have a finished cardigan.

I love this sweet little sweater. The tweed yarn gives it such character, and those starburst details are precious. I really adore this pattern. The finished sweater fits like a glove.

I even wore it with my Hollyburn skirt! I love a good me-made outfit. I’ll admit it took me a bit to work up to wearing it buttoned up. This is much more the style I want, but certainly not the style I’m used to.

I am so glad that I took the time to frog and re-knit it. It is everything I hoped it would be and I may or may not have purchased yarn for a second one. But before I get to another Populuxe, I’ve got another Andi Satterlund pattern on my needles. I just can’t get enough!