Oddly constructed sweaters.

Awhile ago, I posted a picture of a sample that I had totally finished, but wasn't going to publish because a) the yarn I used was just awful and I'd have to make a new sample, and b) there was a negative percent chance that I could write a cohesive pattern that would make the stripes across the shoulders line up for more than one size. So I scrapped the whole project and added the sample to my box of Things That Didn't Work Out. It's kind of a big box. But then... it came to me. How to make it work. Thanks to Emma Welford for a little kick in the pants that ignited my creativity spark. A box of yarn arrived on my stoop, and off we went.

This sweater. Perhaps you remember. 

Earlier this spring/winter, when I had a terrible case of the Finish Every WIP in This Dang House, I found this sweater, worked bottom-up to about the armholes, still on the needles. I think the original plan (like 3 years ago, when I started it) was to be a tank top? Or maybe a t-shirt? I seriously don't remember. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to work out. I know way more about knitting than I did then, thank goodness. So a 3/4 sleeve sweater it is. 

For reasons best known to no one, I was using acrylic from Joann's. Yes, it's soft, but ugh, a good sweater it does not make. I finagled myself a box of Cascade 220 Superwash, a yarn I loves for it's softness, pretty colors, and durability. So- better sample with totally different construction method, here we come!

Construction for this sweater is slightly odd, but I think that might just be what I do. Slightly odd. It uses the Contiguous Method, which is sheer genius and makes a shoulder "seam" and what looks like a set-in sleeve. Pretty nifty. So for this sweater, you're actually going to start with just one shoulder, then you separately make the other shoulder, then you join that business together across the fronts to form the neckline. This way the stripes line up on the body and sleeves for every size, with no crazy maths. "Why, oh why, are you making this in two pieces, you weirdo?" you may be asking. I'm making two shoulders because the back has a super fun keyhole. 

Ta da! This is clearly the old acrylic version. But for this iteration, I'm not joining the knitting at the top of the keyhole- gonna do a button/loop instead, mostly so that I can use a gold anchor button, because if there is an excuse to use a gold anchor button one should always jump on that. 

If this looks oddly like two shoulders that are not joined to anything, then well, that's what it is. But I'm just about to join the two pieces together, then it's only about an inch or two to the body/sleeve divide, then smooth sailing from there. 

Sweater Quantites

Something terrible has happened. My favorite hand knit sweater was attacked by vicious, sadistic moths. They ate an irreparable hole in the MIDDLE of the FRONT of my lovely wool/silk/alpaca sweater. It was (properly stored!) in an air-tight bin with three lavender sachets with a bunch of other wool sweaters, hats, and cowls. Did the moths eat anything else? No. Didn't even look twice at another sweater. They found my favorite one and chowed down.

Sigh. Trying to move on.

So I'm making a new sweater. It's the Agnes Pullover from the Fall 2012 issue of Knitscene. Normally I'm not a cable person, especially not an all-over cable person, but I loved this sweater instantly. I actually didn't ever plan to make it, but one evening a couple of weeks ago I was looking through past knitting magazines, and saw this pullover again, and thought... "Hmm. Isn't there a sweater's worth of Berroco Vintage upstairs in the craft room? In a color that would be perfect for this fall? What did I buy that yarn for, again?" Ten minutes later... we have started a sweater. This is why I don't normally keep sweater quantities around. I am rash when it comes to knitting choices. I think this is a better use for this yarn than the original intent, which was an all-over lace pullover that I somehow thought I would start AND finish on the drive out here from California. I am clearly a crazypants, because I didn't even wind any of the yarn into balls, much less knit an entire sweater.

Love these squishy cables. The yarn is perfect for it- so soft, and a real joy to knit. However... it looks a little bit fuzzy already (especially in the places I had to rip and re-knit... don't drink and knit, kids), but I think that it will be fine. 

And yes... that's a Harry Potter book in the background. It was time for the yearly re-reading.