I'm knitting not a sock!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

So I've been on a lying binge lately. I've been telling people that I've been really busy and haven't been knitting lately. That's why I have not been blogging lately...and not reading other people's blogs lately...and not reciprocating when they comment or add me as their friend on flickr or ravelry, lately.

The truth is, I've had time to watch every single Red Sox game on tv, and enough time to knit a whole sweater for myself.

Side to Side Cable Top

Knit in one piece from the sleeve, to the body to the other sleeve.
I'm going to have to do this more often.

This is the sleeve detail of the "Side to Side Cable Top" from the latest Fall 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting. When I saw this my dormant sweater brain cells fired right up, and was carried back years ago to the Pre-Knitting Era, when I came across a sweater like this in anthropologie and fell in love. The way the thick cables traveled up one arm, across the collar and down the other arm again...I dreamt of a lifetime of wintery evenings snuggled in front of the fire...And then I reached out and touched its sticky, decidedly unsnuggly acrylic fabric, gawked at its yucky, inflated price tag and wept. Nothing could be done about it, I had to walk out.

So the bank didn't break that day, but oh my heart. It tells another story.

I tried to get my mother, knitter extraordinaire, to make a version for me. To my surprise she kinda went Hmmm and I was like, What do you mean you "need a pattern?" What do you mean you can't just Do It? and so she never did and that was the end of that.*

Things are different now. I know how to knit. It's so empowering.

Side to Side Cable Top

Just the other sleeve to go and then the body ribbing to do, which I might omit for that trendy cropped sweater look we've got going on lately. I deviated from the pattern and used a DK weight yarn instead of two yarns held together for a chunky weight. The yarn I'm using - Cascade Lana d'Oro Tweed - is from way way back; the first bag of yarn that would be the start of my yarn stash, in fact. I bought it from WEBS, and being that I was a newbie and didn't fully understand gauge and yardage and sizing, I let the sales associate convince me that I needed 20 skeins of dk weight yarn in order to make an xs sweater. Ha ha!

By design there's some serious negative ease going on. I'm not going to tell you the width of the bust because you will laugh and I will cry. I'll be blocking the bloody bejesus out of this thing so hopefully it will all work out.

It has to!

And now the Season of Sweaters has officially begun.

*(My mother has knit plenty of her own sweaters on the fly, sans pattern. But I think this one skerred her. Or she was lazy. Don't tell her I said that.)

Comments [19]
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007 3:07:09 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Absolutely gorgeous! I'm stunned...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 3:15:25 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Oh, that is so funny. You don't know how many times I told myself I could knit a far nicer version of some Anthropologie sweater only to go back and purchase it. That looks lovely. I commend your talents.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 5:52:21 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
That one is going to look killer.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 6:32:56 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
That's a beautiful sweater! And the construction looks really interesting, too.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 7:20:10 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
It looks awesome so far!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 8:00:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Okay, the yarn wouldn't be my choice...but I love how the cable travels across!
Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:26:50 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
It is looking so great. I can't wait to see it finished. I have never seen Anthropologie stuff, is it American?
Thursday, September 20, 2007 6:58:02 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
What a great sweater that will be!! It looks great so far, I can't wait to see it :)

I'm so in the mood for fall sweaters now, but it's supposed ot be 90 degrees again this weekend - ack!
Thursday, September 20, 2007 8:56:16 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Your sweater makes me want to run out and buy the Fall Vouge Knitting mag, like, right now!
Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:17:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
You have been missed. :)
Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:32:10 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Looks fantastic. Can't wait to see the finished product.

BTW: I'm thrilled to see you knitting sweaters again. :)
Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:50:05 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
it's very pretty. I can't wait to see it when it is finished.
Friday, September 21, 2007 6:12:25 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
That's beautiful! I have sweater envy! Doesn't it feel great to make something you've coveted like that?
Friday, September 21, 2007 10:06:47 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
The construction of that sweater is so neat! I think either the ribbing or the cropped look would work. Assuming it blocks to where you want it to be. :)
Friday, September 21, 2007 12:19:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Love how it's looking so far. The sleeves are going to be amazing! I've never really thought about cabeling strait across the neckline but it's nice. Can't wait to see it all seemed up!
Saturday, September 22, 2007 2:20:29 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
We pretty much need to just knock off every Anthropologie sweater, ever. This one is a great start -- it's going to be totally gorgeous. :)
Sunday, September 23, 2007 10:49:53 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
oh it's just lovely!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 11:12:49 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
This is looking fantastic! I love the yarn you're using - it works well with the pattern.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 2:15:19 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
This is the first pattern from VK that I tagged to knit! You're on it! While you've been so industrious, I am still pondering my yarn selection. Looking forward to hearing your comments as I think we're a similar size, and my sweater success so far has been Not So Good...
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