Finished Project: Aidez Cardigan

Happy New Year!

Kate was lucky enough to spend the holidays (including a rather long flight on New Year’s ‘celebrated’ only with a “feliz año nuevo” begrudgingly announced by one of the flight attendants over the loudspeakers while most of the passengers slept) in Patagonia, Argentina, visiting the free range and organic ranch where her cousin-in-law lives with her husband and children, black angus cattle, merino and Scottish black face sheep, goats, chickens, horses, working border collies and a charming yet unwelcome and unrelenting rooster.

While on the ranch, much brainstorming was done regarding the potential production of fibers (organic guanaco, anyone?) for The Fibre Company, as well as yogurt and cheese making, horseback riding, asados, knitting, wine drinking and soaking in the summer sun.  The very last day she was there – just this Thursday, but seemingly forever ago and half a world away – she found a moment to snap a few photos of her finished Aidez Cardigan (rav link) designed by our dear friend, Cirilia Rose, knit out of Terra in Shale.

It would be an understatement to say that leaving the ranch was incredibly difficult and sad, and had it not been for desperately missing her dogs (quite the little herders themselves) who were waiting patiently at their ‘grandparents’ house for her return, Kate may still be there now, having a glass of wine and eating homemade bread with fresh goat cheese penning a “Dear John” letter of sorts to Courtney, explaining her love for and dedication to Kelbourne Woolens and The Fibre Company, yet announcing her relocation to the Argentine countryside effective immediately.

The Aidez Cardigan was the first project to be featured on Work in Progress Wednesday, and was knit on and off throughout Kate’s final semester of grad school this fall.  She even had delusions of grandeur and believed it would be finished in time for Rhinebeck.  Her thesis took care of that pretty quickly and the knitting happened slowly during the past few months and final seams were sewn just a few days before leaving for vacation.

This sweater is one of the very few things Kate has made for herself in the last few years, (a quick check of Ravelry identifies the last project to be her crooked paths hat by Melissa LaBarre, finished all the way back in March and, not surprisingly, her favorite hat that gets quite a bit of wear!) and she enjoyed knitting every stitch.  The combination of the always knitable Terra paired with a really wonderful pattern by Cirilia that required very little in the way of calculating – or thinking for that matter! – was the perfect thing to turn to at the end of a long day juggling work and school.

Despite some ups and downs, 2010 could not have ended better for Kate, (well, maybe some champagne to go with that sad announcement on the airplane, but really, does she have any right to complain?) and she can only hope it is an omen for good things to come in 2011.  We hope, however you chose to celebrate, 2011 has greeted you kindly and look forward to continue to share our little world with you.