The Sweater

The story of this sweater begins with this post that inspired me to try my first raglan, top-down, seamless sweater. I consulted E Zimmerman and then found a pattern on ravelry. That sweater is not this one, in fact that sweater is no more, (it was for Anna and I wasn't careful about my gauge... again, but more about that one another time, it's already been unraveled and is almost reknit).

About half way through that ill fated sweater, Kyire, at Are So Happy, posted pictures of the sweater finished and I was in love and determined to figure out a similar pattern myself someday (with a little more practice). So a few weeks later when she put out an invitation for test knitters I enthusiastically but nervously replied. Much, much to my delight it was indeed the pattern she'd just created.

I'm not sure how helpful of a test knitter I was because I finished my sweater on the day that the pattern was released, but I'm so happy to have been a part of project and I love the sweater that came out of it. In defense of my tardiness, I had a very specific color in mind for the sweater and I had a hard time finding it. I actually knit the entire yoke in a different color and then frogged it when I decided on this green. Truth be told I restarted so many times on different parts of this sweater that I joked to Ben that I knit it twice.

The restarts had nothing to do with the pattern, but everything to do with my perfectionism. I think it hurts Ben to see me unravel, I try to do it in secret because he doesn't understand my relationship to knitting, but it brings me great satisfaction to be able to try something, then try it a different way then get it just the way I want it (or close).

Below is the original sweater, it's lovely, but I wanted it to be a little more masculine and Joachim put in a specific request for a zipper.

So I did ribbing on the bottom and collar (and folded the collar over) and I ribbed the sleeves but didn't like it so I just did a finished cuff. The zipper was a real challenge, I cast on a couple different sample bands before I found a look I liked and then sewing on the zipper was a nightmare. Finally, I realized it was puckering not because of my sewing it on, but because I'd salvaged it from another sweater and the zipper itself was wavy. It mostly worked after I ironed the zipper.

I also deviated from the pattern by reducing the number of stitches under each arm by 2. I was thinking Joachim is a skinny guy and I had overestimated the girth for Anna's sweater so I wanted to take it in a bit. Now I wish I had followed the pattern exactly, but I also better understand how the math works out. Hopefully it will fit the rest of the winter, but it's ok if he grows too fast because I'm already planning his next sweater and I have visions of Anna in this one with a nice wool plaid skirt (I already have the fabric, thank you Corey).

I plan to use this basic pattern again and make the next size in a steel blue. I love this green color because it highlights Joachim's hazel eyes so beautifully, but I'm thinking a nice light blue yarn will bring out the sage in his eyes. I love the eyes Ben gave our boy.
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Joachim was always a willing model for fittings. My biggest concern was that I would make the sweater and he would refuse to wear it. He's very picky about comfort and very few things feel ok to him. On the contrary he loved being a part of all of the decision making and he loves his new sweater.




The pattern is Antler and Moss Cardigan featured in this post and when you purchase it from ravelry you receive the ebook wanderings which was inspired by two friends, knitting, tea and many handwritten letters, I definietely recommend it and I look forward to their future installations.