Kittens, I had given little thought to Rhinebeck sweater knitting this year since up until a couple of days ago there was no plan for me to attend. (Mr. Knitpicky will be training [again] and coming back about 2 days too late for me to go to the festival. BOO.) But when chatting with my mother, she was open to the idea of coming to see her grandbabies this fall and felt comfortable holding down Chez Knitpicky for a weekend. After scoring a hotel room it was official: this lady is going to Rhinebeck for her second time! This has left me both excited and with a new problem: how does one knit a sweater in time for Rhinebeck when there are so many other things to do?

The answer, to me, seems to be a combination of simplicity and heavier-than-fingering weight gauge for the knit. Had I thought about this months ago, I would have started a more complex colorwork or cabled project in fingering or lace weight and thousands of yards of yarn, but that’s not going to happen. There’s yarn to spin, podcasts to record, yarn to dye, children and dogs to keep alive while the husband is off doing what he does, and holidays to prepare for with a ton of knitting connected to them. That, and I’m trying much harder these days to stick with using yarn I already have and purchasing patterns only as I’m about to use them. So I dug into my Ravelry queue and my stash to see what I could come up with that fits my needs.

These are my top choices based on yarn I have and–other than one exception–I need to just purchase a pattern.

Alicia Plummer’s Nested cardigan is a top contender.

Some of the last Sundara yarn I have purchased has been set aside for this knit, which I find both highly wearable and beautiful. In recent years I have come to accept that when it comes to cardigans I prefer them open, so I have focused on those rather than the more fancy and fussy cardigans I used to lust after knitting. I find the geometric detail on the back a perfect finish for this otherwise simple piece, and I find the subtle contrast color detail on the cuffs and edges a lovely touch.

I would knit it in these colors:

Another highly appealing choice is this cardigan, which I already own the pattern for:

Cedarwood by Alicia Plummer. Sensing a theme here, kittens?

Another pattern by Alicia Plummer featuring an open design and geometric details–this time created by texture rather than colorwork–Cedarwood from Wool People is a top contender. It helps that I even purchased this pattern previously and would have no reason to not cast on immediately. I have a sweater quantity of Berroco Vintage in “Oats” which would work perfectly for this knit.

My final choice is another offering from a Jared Flood publication, but this time from his Brooklyn Tweed line.

Nomad by Norah Gaughan for Brooklyn Tweed

Nomad technically isn’t a sweater but a poncho. Of the three choices it is the most impressive looking with all of the rich texture adorning it. Again, it features strong geometric patterns inspired by older designs which are a love of mine. For this pattern I have a large quantity of Madeline Tosh Pashmina Worsted that I think would work well for it.

…

Kittens, I have lied to you. I was just perusing Ms. Plummer’s Ravelry patterns and realized I have the yarn necessary for one more of her designs that I find highly appealing.

Campside Cardi by Alicia Plummer.

The Campside Cardi is another swoon-worthy design with its open construction and lovely eyelet details that lean geometric in their feeling. I have the perfect Squoosh DK in stash for this–a warm brown with peachy undertones.

So that’s it. Those are my choices based on what I have in-stash and what I think I can get knit in the ~70 days before Rhinebeck starts. What do you think? Which one would you knit if you were me?