It seems that all I have done this year is start sweater projects. I don’t seem to be finishing them. I recently decided to put away the various wool sweaters that I had on needles and let them “rest” until it wasn’t quite so disgustingly hot outside. Instead, I focused on knitting something that I might actually wear in the next few weeks. I set out to replace this piece from my wardrobe. It is one of those sweatshirt material / jacket-ish thingies that you end up wearing almost every single day in the spring and then to every movie all summer long. It just seemed silly to be so dependent on something that I could replace with a knitted garment.
If only it were that easy. In my quest to replace this garment, I have determined exactly how we all end up spending hundreds of dollars in single patterns on Ravelry. Until you download the file and actually look at it, you have no idea what you are getting into. Even with yarn and gauge information, the actual pattern is the only true way to make a decision. And in my case, it seems that seeing several inches knitted up also helps. I purchased and STARTED the following patterns in just a few days:
I actually appear to have purchased this TWICE for unknown reasons. I started it in Imperial Stock Ranch Columbia 2-ply and despite having done a gauge swatch & rework the math to adjust for my over sized gauge, I realized 4 inches into the project that it was going to be large enough to put two of me in it.
This one was in my queue from awhile back but when I saw it worked up in a machine dyed yarn, I was really inspired to knit it. I started this in the Fibre Co Acadia and decided a few inches in that I didn’t like the fabric. I was pretty sure that it would make a wonderful winter cardi but the alpaca was going to be fluffy and sticky in the summer heat. I think it has to be worked in Zara even Shelter.
This last one seemed to be the right fit. I swatched this up in St. Denis Nordique. The gauge was spot on. So I cast on for yet another cardigan. I decided to work this in stockinette stitch rather than reverse. I did leave the edging in reverse, however, to allow it to stand out a bit more from the rest of the sweater. It doesn’t have a belt or pockets (which I kinda miss) but it will definitely serve as a solid replacement for my sweatshirt / jacket / wrap thingy. The color is almost exactly the same as the garment that I am replacing, and it works as a nice neutral layering piece. The yarn has a nice sturdy feel to it and will be durable. The elbows are really important in a garment like this, as they will get worn quickly if I wear it everywhere! It did soften up quite a bit when I blocked it too. (St. Denis is a 100% American Wool).
