First, the sweater. Yes, I did finish it! I washed it and carefully blocked it and let it dry, and then I tried it on. The verdict: well, I don't love it. I want to love it, I really, really do!! But, I don't. Even though I swatched, and washed the swatch, and carefully measured, and tried on, it's just not quite what I had hoped for. Now that I look at it, I wonder if I made the smartest choice of patterns? Do I really need a sweater that HUGS my tummy? It feels a little snug. And the sleeves are snug. I'm not really sure. I'm going to let it chill out in my closet for a while and then try it on again, with different things under it, and hope I'll change my mind.
However, I am NOT daunted!! Not in the least!! I love knitting top down sweaters right now and I'm going to give it another whirl. I'm even willing to try "bottom up" sweaters, if they are knit in the round. Different pattern, different gauge, different yarn, namely: TWEED. I don't know why, but I'm suddenly, inexplicably smitten with tweed! I found some beautiful tweed on sale at elann.com, and WEBS has some Cascade tweed on sale. So, now I am in search of the perfect sweater pattern, one that will be suitable in tweed.
Here's how my search is going: I started with this book, appropriately titled "Tweed" by Nancy J. Thomas. There are some seriously beautiful sweaters here, especially the Carrick Pullover, a tweedy, ribbed turtleneck. 
However, all of these patterns are knit in pieces and then seamed together. I don't feel like doing that right now, for whatever reason. And I'm certainly not ready to do a major pattern conversion yet. So, my search continues...
However, all of these patterns are knit in pieces and then seamed together. I don't feel like doing that right now, for whatever reason. And I'm certainly not ready to do a major pattern conversion yet. So, my search continues...I love Wendy Bernard's blog and patterns (http://www.knitandtonic.typepad.com/), and I heard that her new book, "Custom Knits," is all about top-down sweaters, so I decided to check it out.
This could be "IT"!! Beautiful patterns, truly, with detailed directions (which I need) and customization options! I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I am anxious to get started. I love many of the patterns and I hope I can figure them out. And, find one that will be perfect in tweed!! Maybe this one?
This could be "IT"!! Beautiful patterns, truly, with detailed directions (which I need) and customization options! I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I am anxious to get started. I love many of the patterns and I hope I can figure them out. And, find one that will be perfect in tweed!! Maybe this one?
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