The Botanist, and the 2018 Verb For Keeping Warm Lookbook

By now, you may already have seen my latest cardigan, The Botanist.  It's part of a lovely collection from my friends at a Verb For Keeping Warm, and it's knit out of Kristine Vejar's gorgeous Pioneer yarn, dyed in the Vineyard colorway (how appropriate, right?)

The pattern is my translation of the classic Aran cardigan - that one with the big wooden buttons, usually knit in heavy cream yarn.  I wanted to make a lighter, more delicate version - with a shorter, boxy fit, a bunch of gorgeous textures and cables, and a little bit of an interesting collar.  I especially love the little wraps around the seed cables...

Verb still has kits for this pattern available in Tree Fort and Tortilla, and is taking pre-orders in Vineyard, Root, and Peat for December 2018 delivery.  

The Botanist is part of Verb's first Look Book, a collection that celebrates the whole process behind our craft - from the farm to the needle. Other featured designs in the collection are by Bristol Ivy, Maryjane Mucklestone, Elizabeth Doherty, and Annie Rowden, and they are all beautiful, knit in different handdyed fibers, and also available in kits!  You can see the whole look book HERE. 

As the month goes on, there will be a few other components of the project, including a few podcast interviews, an Instagram contest, a celebration at Verb's Oakland store and more.  I'll keep everyone up to date as I have info for you!

To start with,  how about that contest? To enter, if you are an Instagram crafter, tag any of your craft projects you are working on that use Verb materials with the hashtag #verbalong, and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift certificate at the Oakland shop at the end of November.  They'll be choosing 3 winners! 

If you want to work on The Botanist, the Ravelry page for the sweater is HERE, and it's also available on the patterns page of the website here.  The pattern is both written and charted. Sleeves are worked flat, and the sweater is knit from the bottom up.  The body is worked seamlessly to armholes and split into front/front/back to shoulders.  Once shoulders are seamed, sleeves are set in and seamed. Modifications to depth or width are easy and notes are in the pattern. 

The Botanist is a cocktail as well, and the recipe is in the lookbook....  (so take a look? )

And hey, did you notice the new blog layout?  I still may be working on a few things, but I wanted to  make it a little cleaner and brighter, and bring the actual blog entries up to the forefront!