I finally finished this more or less basic cardigan from an improvised pattern. I felt like this took f.o.r.e.v.e.r because (1) the gauge is 6.33 stitches/inch (2) the yarn is little bit splitty and (3) it's a really dark color. I purchased the yarn at Stitches West a couple of years ago. It's from Newton's Yarn Country and is a washable blend of mostly merino with a bit of nylon. It's actually a marled yarn composed of very dark blue and very dark maroon plies and the result is a purple-black yarn. I took this photo in bright light to show the stitch pattern on the fronts but in bright light the yarn looks too light in color.
Now that I've finished the sweater, I really like it. It's a perfect weight for spring and fall. I really like this style of cardigan where the body is simple stockinette and the front bands have some sort of interesting pattern which just continues onward beyond the shoulders and gets sewn on to the back neckline. In this case, I also used the same stitch pattern for the sleeve cuffs and hem. For the front edges, I slipped 3 knit stitches purl-wise at the start of the right front and at the end of the left front. This gives the front edges a quasi I-cord look and keeps them from stretching in length with wear. For the back neckline, I used 3-needle bind-off to join the front bands.
I like this sweater enough that I'm thinking of knitting another but in a bigger gauge yarn and also in a lighter color. That should go faster and the stitch pattern will be more visible.
