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. 

Knitting: check.

I finally, FINALLY finished knitting my latest design.

Had I been able to knit each stitch only one time, as is usual with knitting, it would have gone so much faster. However, I re-knitted the yoke about 8 times, then the body like 3 times, the lace piece 4 times, and the left sleeve I think had a black hole somehow attached to it.

But now, it's done. I think. I feel like it could use more length in the body, which involves either ripping out half of it and re-knitting (NO, I WILL NOT), or doing some scary magic with snipping a stitch and using the sorcery that is the Kitchener stitch. Or I might leave it as is. We'll see. Haven't decided yet. Pretty, though, right? It's Cascade Ultra Pima and Ultra Pima Fine. Thank you, Cascade, for providing me with the lovely yarn. It's so soft! Like, so so soft! Great to work with.