10 March 2009

it's a sweater

I was just about done with my February Lady Sweater when I last posted about it, and now, here we are again. I actually finished this about two weeks ago, and have just been waiting for some dang sunlight in which to photograph it. It was certainly not sunny today (much the opposite- more like rain turned freezing rain turned snow), but I got tired of waiting and wanted to share this with you. So here it is, my first official finished sweater in, oh I don't know, three years (at least). I had another one just about finished two years ago, but that one's still in a bag in a box and not being talked about (you know the feeling, right?).

A few notes about this sweater...I ended up needing one more skein than the pattern called for, possibly because I made the body and/or sleeves longer than intended (see below). One good thing about knitting from the top down is that, in my paranoia about the sweater being too short, I made it way too long (like, almost covering my whole butt). I only realized this after it was all washed and dried and I was sewing the buttons on. Since it was top down, all I had to do was rip out to where I wanted, and re-knit the 10 rows of garter stitch at the bottom. Also, I'm getting these little flappy things around the armholes and I'm not sure why. The lovely ladies from my knitting group tell me it's because I have a smaller bust (not something I've been told since I've had a bust- though I can safely say this is the first time I've knitted myself an XXS anything), so who knows. It only bothers me when I stare at it too long. And one final note, as much as I loved using organic wool- this yarn had about a gajillion little pieces of hay or straw or whatever that was spun into the yarn, forcing me to pick them out as I went along (I'm actually still picking them out), so beware.

I'm so excited about this sweater. Like I said in my last post, it was just the right amount of complicated to make it interesting to look at, yet easy to knit. And it is super comfy, and most definitely an everyday sweater. I think I've already worn it three or four times in the two weeks since I finished it. And, since Spring doesn't seem to want to make an appearance anytime soon, it looks like I'll keep on wearing it for a while!

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Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne
Yarn: O Wool in Thistle (4202)
Needles: Size 8 40" circular
Modifications: I made no modifications, except that I did find that I needed an extra skein of yarn. Maybe I made it longer than expected (there are no specifications for length of body or sleeves- it just says "knit until desired length"

Ravelry details here, too.

5 comments:

  1. I love it. It looks so great on you:)
    It's been forever since I've knit a sweater too -I don't know if I have the time/patience anymore.
    I need things I can pick up and put down for weeks at a time...(like a blanket:))
    I don't notice the flaps at all.
    but I will say that if you have a small bust, I must be flat chested...

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  2. It's a lovely sweater - I like the longer length.

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  3. you beat me! it looks wonderful - the flappy things under your armpits are due to the fact that there's no shaping - a typical problem in top-down raglan patterns - just enjoy it - the original pattern was the EZ February Baby Sweater, and we all know that babies don't have boobage ;o)

    I'm also considering lengthening the body - will decide once I finish the second sleeve.

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  4. great work! i like that it was just the right amount of complicated. i'm working on one of those now.
    wear it in pride! she's a keeper ;)

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