Prequel | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five
My latest labour of love is complete! Thank to all of you who left comments helping me figure out where to start, and keeping me going when it was taking a zillion years. I really am ever so grateful to you.
The pattern was a month in the figuring out, then the jumper was a month in the making. Then I had two weeks of it sitting in the other room while I felt poorly and couldn’t face ironing it, packaging it up and posting – but I got that done on Thursday and soon the recipient will try it on and we’ll see if it fits! This is the first time I’ve made a garment for someone who I couldn’t measure and try the thing on every half hour, on the half hour, so I’m nervous about it. Ironing rather than blocking was an unusual step for me but I didn’t need to change the size so much as smooth and flatten out the stitches, and as a bonus it improved the drape nicely.
Now, the truth is that I don’t like how it looks in any of my photographs, which is part of the reason that I haven’t blogged about it before now. The other reason is the aforementioned poorliness and languishing in bed/on the sofa with no inclination to knit, never mind take photos. You know it’s bad when I don’t want to knit.
Do you ever have an item that looks great ot your eye, but as soon as you look at it through a lens just seems to become a loosely-joined string of imperfections? I get by OK, most of the time, but this was a real challenge. Maybe because the light colour really shows all the detail?
Speaking of light colour, you may remember a couple of weeks back that I had mentioned some of my hair dye had transferred on to the fabric, just from trying it on. I’m pleased to say that washed right out of the fabric, zero problem. I put a wee skoosh of Vanish on it first (other stain removers are available). Phew! Otherwise the whole thing would have had to be dyed red, there would be no other solution whatsoever.
You know I enjoy a low angle knitting picture. I also feel like this oblique angle is more forgiving of the natural ups and downs that occur when you knit something by hand and not with a machine. Just like most of us, the jumper is imperfect but very much well-meaning.
If I’m writing it down correctly, the final pattern in the round was:
Two rows garter
Row of yo, ktbl, k2tog repeated
Row of right twist, purl repeated
Row of k2, p repeated
Two rows garter
I used four and a half skeins of Sirdar Snuggly 4 ply (WoolBox link) in cream. I referred to The Ivy Sweater (Ravelry link) by NEA Knitwear (Designer’s site) as a starting point for sizing.
I will never make this pattern again but I learned a ton and feel proud of what I accomplished. It may look home made (as distinct from hand made) but it was made to the absolute best of my abilities, and with a great deal of love.
I’ve added this post (two days late) to the Unraveled Wednesday linkup, with thanks to Kat for hosting.
The Crafty Yarnster 