The 3 Year Sweater

Pattern: self-drafted (aka made up)
Yarn: Knit Pick's Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight in Blue Ink
Cost: free - leftovers from my aunt!



I'm really good at starting sweaters. Cast on something in the general dimensions of my hips and away I go. I will happily continue this for months, alternating between obsessively knitting and completely forgetting about the project. But the second I get to the armholes it all goes to hell. It's at this point that I remember I'm not following any sort of pattern whatsoever, and it can become impossible to find one that matches my stitches and arm size. As a sewer, I also recognize the importance of the arscye shape and am reluctant to improvise.


At some point though, after I had ripped and redone the armhole a few times, I remembered dropped shoulders. They're in style! They're easy! Why not? I simply knit the sweater up as a square, and then picked up my sleeve stitches from around the opening and knit down. Not bad! 


In truth I am just happy to have this sweater done. I think it's been on my needles since I started Mr. Made's sweater in 2013, and really something this basic shouldn't take that long (his is much, much nicer). By the end I wasn't really sure how much I'd like it, but I have found myself putting it on in the colder days we've been having. It's a bit scratchy (someday I'll learn to buy nicer yarn), but it's fine if I wear a long sleeve shirt under it, and it all came courtesy of my aunt's leftovers for free!

The stripes were a way to use up some other yarn in the same weight that I had also received from my aunt, but in a smaller quantity.  It adds a nice bit of interest to a plain sweater, and you all know how much I love stripes. I am now halfway through a sweater with my prize yarn from the Kollabora Christmas contest, as I have taken up knitting in class and am making quick progress. 


With this and my new Bernina machine I may be able to afford this hobby through grad school after all!

4 comments:

  1. really cute sweater and what? a new sewing machine, nice!

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  2. ok - this is impressive! I have yarn for a sweater and have printed out a couple of "simple" patterns, but am just too intimidated. If you're saying you just knitted it up as a square with sleeves - well, I can do that! It looks really cute on you. What about the neckline? was that part square, too?

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    Replies
    1. I did do some simple neckline shaping, decreasing evenly on each side. I don't totally recommend going sans pattern (I have knit several sweaters before with a pattern), but if you're ok with knitting and ripping out as you experiment and that's how you lean best, then give it a shot!

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  3. I love this sweater!
    The fit and the colours, and the sleeve length, all perfect!

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