Sunday, October 10, 2010

"Hope" in cranberry red - My Christmas sweater a year in the making

I decided to knit myself a red sweater to wear during Christmas around this time last year. I settled on Wendy Bernard's "Favorite Cardigan" from her book Custom Knits. I picked Knit Picks' Andean Silk in cranberry red and got started right after the yarn arrived in the mail. The problems began immediately when I couldn't get gauge. Even though the yarn is advertised 4.5 - 5 stitches per inch, it is more like 5.5 - 6 stitches per inch. Okay, I'll adjust and simply knit a bigger size on slightly bigger needles. I knit until right before it gets divided for the sleeves and realized the big cables running down the fronts looked small and silly because of the size of the yarn. Sigh. Not wanting to waste the yarn, I began looking for another pattern.

One of the neatest things about Ravelry.com is the ability to search for sweater designs for specific yarn thicknesses. And that is how I settled on "Hope", which is a pattern from an Australian magazine. I got gauge and began knitting the small. It was looking really nice, but when I was able to try it on a few rows after I divided for the sleeves, it was too big. Aaaaarg!!! Again I frogged it and stared over, this time using the XS. I didn't have any other problems but decided while knitting the sleeves that I preferred them long to 3/4 as per the pattern. I did use an alpaca, wool and silk blend after all. Why be warm only down to my forearms? Problem was, the color cranberry was backordered until May! It was way past Christmas by this point, and even winter for that matter.

If you've read through that saga, you now know why this took me a year to complete. And why my knitting year has not been going so smoothly, as I've previously blogged about. But no matter, it is now finished and I LOVE IT! It's the prettiest thing I've ever knitted and is done in time for this winter and Christmas.

I learned several new and very neat techniques with this design, including the cable cast-on method and using short rows to make the back longer then the front. (Both learned about by watching U-tube instruction videos on the internet.) It is my first round-yoke sweater and first long sleeved FO also. This sweater is knit from the top down, including the button bands. It is a fantastic pattern without one mistake. I really enjoyed making it, despite my many setbacks.

Up next is the popular "Tree Jacket" from Zephyrstyle.com. I purchased this pattern at least a year ago and am finally getting around to it. I'll be using Tahki Yarns Truffles in cream, bought online from Webs. Hopefully it will arrive early this week. I'm itching to get started on a new knitting project.

24 comments:

  1. Your sweater is absolutely amazing! After all the trouble you had, I'm glad that you are happy with the end result. It looks fantastic on you - enjoy wearing it and the compliments you receive!

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  2. Lovely! I agree with the long sleeve choice you made. 3/4 seems silly for a winter sweater.

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  3. Beautiful! I love the lacy yoke. So great that you got such a lovely result after all of the frustration.

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  4. It looks beautiful and so do you! I love the color cranberry for Christmas so much better than red.

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  5. I still don't she how you get anything done (gee, what else have you been up to) and you turn out beeyoutiful things! I feel like a slacker and I don't have children or any other excuse :-)

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  6. Worth it to persevere. Simply lovely.

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  7. Sweater envy isn't pretty! I love it.

    Gratuitous baby photo please!!!!

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  8. Your sweater is lovely but what I'm most envious about is how great you look after just having a baby. On second thought, I'm also envious that you've already had your baby (I'm in week 32, swollen and sleepless). Anyway, you look great!

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  9. Your sweater is gorgeous, well worth all the trouble! It's so perfect for Christmas - it looks very festive but also very elegant and chic. I am in awe of your amazing knitting skills!

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  10. Your sweater is just beautiful! I like the little lace pattern - a nice change from the usual cables for Christmas sweaters. :-) I'm so glad you're happy with it, too. There are few things worse than finishing knitting a sweater just to have it sit in your closet (um, I know). I have two red cardigans "almost" done. Almost as in I don't have much more to knit, but it may still take me two years to finish them both... especially since I've misplaced a critical needle!

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  11. Amanda you look great after having a baby just a little while ago. Perhaps try a smaller needle when your gauge turns up a bit bigger than recommended in the pattern. This works for me. Your red cardi looks fab and you have knitted it beautifully. Enjoy your knitting. Hopefully one day you will start one of my favourite hobbies, quilting! You will be great at it. I have been knitting since I was 4 years old and it is still by most loved hobby. We have a local supplier in South Africa which has some great yarn but I see that you guys just have the best selection. Ebay turns out too expensive when it comes to postage all the way to South Africa. Enjoy!

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  12. Beautiful sweater and you look wonderful post baby.

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  13. It's gorgeous Amanda! I love the colour, and it looks so well knitted. :)

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  14. GREATEST comes with time! ;D GREAT sweater!!!

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  15. Beautiful sweater! It looks like it was well worth the wait. :) I love your red shoes, too!

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  16. That is so pretty - love the color. One of my biggest regrets is that I have never learned to knit - my grandma was a fantastic knitter and crocheter. Miss her but I love seeing the knitting projects.

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  17. This is a perfect Christmas sweater. The diamond pattern reminds me of ice crystals, and what a gorgeous shade of red. Way to hang in there until you found the perfect pattern and gage. I am always in awe of those, like you, who can knit so beautifully.

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  18. Oops, I knew "gage" looked funny. Should have been "gauge"!

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  19. Absolutely goregous sweater Amanda, worth all the aches and pains!!! I really like your upcoming knit project too (the tree jacket)! I have a question, have you ever considered using or used one of those knitting machines I've seen in JoAnn Fabric stores?

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  20. Hello Amanda, my congratulations was very beautiful. I can not do electrical, but I venture to crochet.

    Hugs

    Eilan Life
    MT - Brazil

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  21. Beautiful sweater! I have enjoyed reading your blog! Would you be interested in helping a new sewing blog with the hopes to donate homemade sewing projects to charities? www.imsewinghope.blogspot.com

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  22. Hi Amanda. I am currently knitting a lacy jacket that I think you may be interested in. I would like to email the pattern to you but for security reasons neither of us can leave an email address on the blog. Are you on facebook? If so, you can find me, Gaynor Stone, and leave me a message in my inbox with your email address and I can mail it to you? Nobody can access by mailbox but me. I cannot publish it for download on a blog because of copyright issues.

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  23. Amanda, what a lovely sweater! The color choice is perfect, and you really did a nice job on it. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

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