The uber-talented Stephannie Tallent

I've been California dreaming of late. No, I'm not singing old Mamas and Papas songs nor planning a cross-continental escape. Instead, I'm envisioning sweaters from about the best knitting book I've seen in years: California Revival Knits by the incredibly talented Stephannie Tallent.

I ordered this book the minute I saw the Wrought Iron Cardi. This unique but classic v-neck, shawl-collared cardigan features waist shaping and an easy twisted stitch motif. I started mine yesterday now that the Color Affection is off the needles. The sweater uses an interesting construction. You start by knitting saddle shoulder straps (Dottie, do you hear this calling your name?) and then picking up stitches and continuing from the top down. The sleeves are worked by picking up stitches along the armhole, working short rows for the cap shaping, then continuing in the round.

I ordered Woolen Rabbit Grace, a hand-dyed, 100% merino in the Forever In Blue Jeans colorway. I'll write more about this gorgeous yarn soon but suffice to say, it's spectacular. For now, I'll show you the beginnings of my saddle shoulder. Honestly, I'm in love. And of course, everything looks better when modeled by an ever-patient and always-sleepy pug.

I asked Stephannie about modifying the Wrought Iron cardi for a perfect fit. "If you need to add length, I recommend adding one full back repeat's worth once you've gotten past the armholes, because the bottom chart begins after the last row of a full repeat," she said. "If you want to add a partial repeat, you're going to have to adjust the initial cast on charts at the top of the shoulders.  Each of those start at a different place depending on size, so that the sweater could increase a little in length as the size increased."

She also gives a great hint for plus-size knitters. "You could potentially add some armhole increases to the front to make the front wider, i.e., use the smaller size for crossback then add extra armhole increases to increase the bust measurement." I'll definitely be making this mod.

If you're not up for an entire cardigan, then try one of the Wrought Iron Cardigan's lovely siblings: the Wrought Iron Socks, Mitts, and Tam. Aren't they gorgeous?

I'm a sweater knitter though; I'll leave the accessories to the rest of you while I plan for the Tiles pullover. Stephannie transforms a simple sweater into a beaded delight. The deep V-neck and waist shaping will work perfectly for me. I love the weekend look, but I can also imagine this knitted up in a soft white yarn with pearl beads.

Stephannie also offers insight on modifying this pullover. "The Tiles sweater should be easy to modify for length in most sections.  See where the waist shaping works best for you, and adjust from there... note that the neckline beading starts at the armhole bind off row.  If you think you need more room after the bust increases than this will give you, you'll need to take that into consideration.  Check your row gauge, see how many inches 22 rows will take you, and see if you need more than that. Bust short rows may be a little tricky given the neckline design, too."

California Revival Knits offers 14 extraordinary designs. There's something for everyone. I bet you'll just love her unusual Peacock Cowl and Gauntlets set. So creatively different and absolutely beautiful.

And don't forget these whimsical Fringe Socks. Love them!

To celebrate this amazing book, I'm giving away a free copy! Just leave a comment below; tell me which design you'd most like to make and I'll pick the winner at random. If you'd like to order California Revival Knits, visit Cooperative Press. To learn more about Stephannie, visit Sunset Cat.