This year is going to be “The Year of the Sweater”.
I am working on the Twist cardigan by Chic Knits and it is a really nice pattern, well written and beautiful. I have the back and left front done and blocked, and I’m working on the right front now. I decided to make it a close fitting sweater so I can wear it under my coat, but I’ve been sweating bullets hoping it isn’t TOO close fitting that it appears a size to small. Once I had the back knitted and blocked I felt much more comfortable that it was going to be fine. So what if I have to make the button band a little wider to give me that extra room where I need it? I have a problem of fitting the bust, yet not swimming in the rest of the garment. I decided to knit this sweater in the 42″ size, which is the actual measurement of my bustline. Yes, I know, I’m taking a chance. The button band being just a tad bit wider will give me the little extra room I need and keep the other dimensions closer to my actual size. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
I have another sweater, My First Fair Isle sweater that needs to see the light of day again. I am determined to finish this sweater and conquer my fear of steeks! This one will definitely be a challenge, but I think I’m up for it. Michelle, the owner of my LYS, The Yarn Market, has graciously offered to help me through the steeking challenges when I’m ready. I told her I might need a mild sedative to calm my fears, but she assures me that I’ll be fine.
Time for confession, I have only knit two sweaters in my life. Hard to believe that I’ve been knitting this long and only have done two sweaters. The first sweater was a disaster which I hope never to repeat. The knitting was fine, well not bad, but the seaming….OMG. I’ve been sewing forever and I’ve made tailored garment, lined and everything. You’d think I would have been a little smarter, even if I was completely naive about how to seam a knitted garment. Two thicknesses of a knitted sweater will make VERY bulky seams, not to mention that the stitch, which I’m not totally sure of which I used but it definitely wasn’t the mattress stitch or one appropriate for knitted seams. To bad I didn’t have a LYS at the time or at the very least a good book in finishing techniques. I have both now. The book, The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques, will be used a lot I’m sure, thank goodness it’s spiral bound. Anyway, I never wore that sweater. It languished in my closet for sometime before I gave it to the Good Will.
The other sweater, Mr. Greenjeans, is a top down sweater, no seams…thank goodness! I spun the yarn from my sheep, knit the sweater and even got a Best In Show ribbon at the county fair. But all in all, the fit has a lot to be desired. It’s a very warm sweater and I have worn that one on several occasions, but I can do better.
DH asked me about his sweater that I started last year. It was an aran sweater, the Inishmore by Alice Starmore…what was I thinking? I told him that I was going to “practice” on my sweater first. I plan on finding another pattern and frogging this one. This way he can be involved in picking out the pattern, provided it’s something in my skill level of knitting, I hope. So, this year, 2010 is going to be “The Year of the Sweater(s)”.
P.S. I do have two different socks OTN at the moment. Even if it’s the year of the sweaters, I still have to have a portable sock project going.