Three is the Magic Number

I've got four projects on the needles right now.  One of them ("Winnowing") is waiting for a day when I have some quiet time, so I won't count it.  
 I think I may have discovered the secret to finishing sweaters.  I need to have lots of options so that when I get angry or bored I can toss one aside for another.   I think I may have said it before, but I'm glad that my knitting habits aren't reflective of my romantic habits.  If they were, I'd have a number of ex-boyfriends languishing in my closet. 
"Levenwick" has hit the horse latitudes.  I'm knitting and knitting and knitting and it feels like I'm getting nowhere.
 So, in order to stay faithful, I cheated, and cast on the most luxurious self indulgent knitting I could think of ; "Liesl" in worsted weight white Italian cashmere. 

In need of sleeves and buttons

This yarn came from a 400 dollar sweater that a friend passed on to me after the moths had had their fun.  I diligently took out the seams and wound it into skeins so that it could be washed and weighted to straighten out the kinks.  What I ended up with was about 200 yards of usable lengths and about 200 yards of shorties.  Keeping this in mind, I chose "Liesl".  It's fast, low yardage and very easy to modify.
 
 

My first Liesl was knit out of Malabrigo worsted.

My first "Liesl"

That's not the best choice for an every day cardigan and it got fuzzy after only one wearing.  Those were the days when softness reigned supreme, Malabrigo was queen, and no one mentioned the fact that a worsted weight single in merino might not be the most practical yarn.  That poor sweater was felted in a not so freak washing machine accident caused by a severe lack of judgement.   It's waiting for the day that we have a little girl in the family.
 I'm loving this new version, but I have a sinking feeling that it's going to get gifted.   I don't look great in cropped styles and white cashmere plus little boys equals disappointment.  Sadly, I'm still in need of a summer cardigan.  Maybe blocking will come to the rescue.
The only things I modified were the lower hem and the sleeves.  I added a couple of knit rows to add stability and then shortened the length of the sleeves.

Garter stitch border

The next time I knit this pattern (there will be a next time) I'll do a two row button hole, add a garter stitch border to the collar for stability and I'll use a heavy worsted or bulky weight hard wearing blend.  The cashmere is like knitting with baby cheeks, but this sweater is looking more and more like a cross between a cardigan, a bolero and a bed jacket.  I think it's going to end up as a fancy dress sweater. We'll see.

I'm not wild about these button holes

The third project is an oldie but a goodie.  "Hallett's Ledge" has been haunting my yarn hole for quite some time.

Swatch for "Hallett's Ledge"

I've finished the body up to the armholes, but the last time I picked it up to knit on it, I didn't check the chart for the cables and I made a very subtle mistake that will mean ripping back two inches.  That was enough of a reason for the poor thing to get shoved back into the yarn hole.  Not to be out foxed by a project, this time I'm starting with the sleeves. I'll rip out wonky cables when I'm done with the sleeves and the finish line is in sight.
So, it looks like I'm still on the hunt for the perfect summer cardigan.  I'm not going to cast on for it until at least two of these projects are finished.  I think I need to limit myself to three at a time.  Four patterns is a little too much for me to keep track of.  Three seems just right: one challenging project, one easy project and one decadent project.