CardiZen from Bayron Handmade

Hey guys! I thought I'd do one of my semi-annual blog posts. 

I made a seasonally-inappropriate cardigan last summer, the CardiZen, designed by Denise Bayron from Bayron Handmade. And now it's unseasonable in the Northern Hemisphere again, but if you started one now, it would be ready for fall. And for Southern Hemisphere knitters, I'm right on time!

I used black roving from Bluprint (remember those days, when it wasn't going out of business?). It was a good price for super bulky yarn, but the sweater turned out pretty heavy. Weigh your options when choosing yarn! (maybe literally). 

I ordered the Jul closures that the designer shows in her pattern photos. They look so cool, and they allow you to close a sweater in different ways. Check out the sweater pattern listing on Ravelry to see a couple ways that Denise styled hers with the closures. This is the first time I've used any sweater closures, so I'm still figuring out how I like to place them. 

It's hard to see black in photographs, and this sweater is no exception. But trust me, I love how it looks. It feels sophisticated as well as cozy. It was an enjoyable project to knit, and the instructions were clear. 

I'm excited to wear this again in the fall and winter. But for now I am enjoying the summer, even though my kids aren't going to any activities where I can drop them off, and the pools are closed, and it is going to be a very long summer with the whole family together every minute and the last three months already felt like a year, but still! Summer is coming in three days and I'm here for it.