The Asymmetrical Cardigan and a yarn recommendation

I'm sure most Danes will remember the winter of 2009/2010. The country has been covered in snow since the middle of December, and there is no reason to believe that will change within the next two weeks (i.e. as far as the forecasts go). Some people find it rather annoying, and Denmark is - like the rest of Europe - about to run out of road salt, but really, this is what we've been wishing for all those green winters with only a few days of snow - let's enjoy it! I love that we can now walk across most of the lakes, and I like to see how much the children seem to enjoy playing in the snow - I know I would have if I were 5! 

Another reason for me to enjoy this extraordinarily long winter is that I finished this perfect winter cardigan 3 weeks ago. May I present another winner: the Asymmetrical Cardigan!

Pattern: Asymmetrical Cardigan by Norah Gaughan, published in Knitting Nature. It is my 6th(!) knit from this gorgeous book! This is not the only book from which I've knit 6 different items (Twinkle's Big City Knits is the other), but it is certainly the one from which I've produced so many successful knits that get regular wear - among these are sweaters I'm likely to wear out, namely the all-time favourites: the Bubble Pullover and the wonderful Cabled Spiral Pullover. My mum also knitted the Asymmetrical Cardigan ages ago in a beautiful tomato colour - and with little tomato buttons! - in a smaller gauge to give a more elegant look than that of my very wintery and very cosy cardigan. If you haven't yet seen this book (published in 2006), you should!

Yarn: New Lanark Aran [shop link | Rav link], colourway Iris. I can only say one thing: Try this yarn! It doesn't matter if you prefer DK or Aran, just try it! The colours are gorgeous, and if a yarn can be honest this one is - it's well spun, it's nice to knit with, it gives a good texture and drape, and it holds up well to wear. And not least: it's so inexpensive! My mother and I have had to behave ourselves and not order more than we have room for. It's harder than it sounds :)

Needles: 6.0 mm Addi Turbo.

Buttons: Red mother of pearl buttons bought in Sweden. I love how these buttons emphasise the hint of red that this blue-purple colour contains (a tiny bit of red has been spun into the yarn to give this complex and beautiful colour - that's one of the reasons why I like this yarn so much). 

Modifications: My fewer sts/inch and my small size demanded that I construct a new size: extra-petite. (It has to be said that I'm not that petite - it's the sizes in Knitting Nature that run large). Mathematically, it was very simple: I found the difference in stitch count between sizes petite and small, and subtracted that number from the petite stitch count. For everything length-related directions are given in inches, and there I just followed size petite. I also knit the button bands as I went along rather than attaching them afterwards. Doing as Norah says (i.e. attaching collar and button bands afterwards) gives a more elegant finish because the buttonbands can then be knit on smaller needles, but I think my solutions goes well enough with the more chunky look that my cardigan has. 

Link to my Ravelry project page: Here.