Usually when people talk about stashbusting, they mean they’re trying to use up stuff THEY bought.

I’m trying to use up stuff my GRANDMOTHER bought. Probably in the 1950s. It’s worsted weight apple-green wool. She kept it packed in a cedar chest with mothballs so it’s still in pretty good shape (aside from being a bit stinky) but there are no ball bands, so I have no idea what brand it is or where she might have gotten it.

Mods: cast on 100 stitches for extra length; using wrap-and-turn for the short rows. When I got to the buttonhole row, I put the cardigan on and marked the first button placement at the fullest part of the bust, and the other two buttons a couple of inches above and below that point.

Cast on I don’t remember how, cast off with Icelandic cast-off in Cap Sease’s Cast On, Bind Off (which is a great book and you should check it out).

11/16” (18mm) buttons

3/30/2013: Ahem. So. I put this away while I worked on Christmas projects in 2011 and sort of forgot about it. I rediscovered it a week or so ago when I was trying to find my size 8 interchangeable circ tips. It was 2/3 to 3/4 done, so I just sat down and finished it. I probably won’t wear it until October, but at least it’s done.

3/31/2013: Soaked it overnight so I could wet-block it, and reactivated all the mothball aroma my grandmother managed to imbue into the yarn. Augh. It was eye-watering. I’m glad I didn’t use one of those mentholyptus wool washes, or I might have created a chemical weapon in my kitchen. I’m hoping the scent will fade as it dries.

4/2/2013: Mothball scent DID fade when the cardi dried. The yarn also softened considerably -- it’s still not what I’d call ‘next to the skin soft’ but it’s definitely nicer. The yarn also grew considerably; the cardi is several inches longer now, which makes it a good length for me. I am thinking of doing a slip-stitch crochet on the underside of the sleeves (underarms, that is) and along the inside at the collar to give it just a little more structure, but I’ll probably try wearing it a couple of times before I decide for sure.