Uh Oh! It's a Boyfriend Sweater

Every knitters knows the "Sweater Curse". For those that are unaware it's the breakup that occurs when a knitter makes, then gives a hand made sweater to a significant other (usually a boy/girl friend). Sometimes the gentle click of the casting on is enough to start the knell of the relationship, othersflounder after the sweater is received.

I met Mr Glam in February 2005 and in February 2006 I went away to work for a month on North Uist in the Western Isles. He asked me to knit him a sweater, full of cables and aran and lovely and everything marvellous and I thought that this time apart would be the perfect time to make the start. I bought the best wool from ebay - 10 skeins of wonderfully soft Bluefaced Leicester. It was delivered to the house in Scotland we were staying and I didn't make a start. The wool came back down with me and went through two house moves staying in the bag it came in.

Fast forward to October 2013. That's it seven years later. I had decided to make a serious attempt to sort my stash and came across the lovely BFL at the bottom of a bin bag. Mr Glam, who knows about the Sweater Curse, wondered if I was ever going to knit him the sweater. My reasons for not are not at all connected to the worry that it will end our relationship. It's mostly because I'm lazy and easily distracted and am not great at finishing things. Starting comes easy but finishing is a completely different matter.

But started I have. It's a cabled, seamless, scoop necked sweater knit called Olwen by AndreSue Knits. Mr Glam isn't keen on things being close round his neck so I think that this is going to work. I'm going for the largest size but have also upped the needles size to 5mm for the ribbing and 5.5mm for the main part. And boy is it a fast knit. This is it after 4 days.

Yes, I know there is a mistake on the cable. Or rather there was a mistake on the cable, I just dropped down the stitches and it now flows as it's meant to.

Green and Lumpy

This shows what a bad blogger I have been over the past few months - I finished this sweater in January and have only just got around to prattling about it.
So, Ta-Da!!!! What do you think?

The pattern is Cathode by Stefanie Japel and was in Knitty Winter 2004. The main body is knitted on 8mm and the ribbing on 3.75mm

The main part is knitted from Stylecraft Loop the Loop which I picked up for a bargain at 59p per ball from Kemps and the ribbing is from some old Rowan Lambswool DK that I got from a lady on Freecycle so the sweater was practically free. Okay, it did take me a while to get going and then a while to finish off the ends but it is now done.

I liked the pattern, it's clearly explained and worked from the top down so you can adjust any bits that you need whilst going along. There is no sewing up at the end which means just can just knit and knit and knit and then wear with none of that faffing that seems to take forever when sewing garments together. I also think that it's a great pattern for someone looking for a first sweater.

I think that my yarn choices were inspired, well I would say that, the contrast between the lumpiness of the Astrakhan and the smoothness of the DK works very well. Also having a textured yarn helps with making it more interesting to look at rather than a smooth body.

I also think that this shape flatters just about any body shape and makes your tits look huge (or so my boyfriend says) which is no bad thing in my book. The collar is very glamorous and almost reminiscent of a 40's style drape while the ribbing helps with giving you a smooth line as well as pulling you together. I think this is a classy vintage looking sweater that is easy to knit and, if you get your act together, a quick knit too.

Finished at Last

I have actually managed to finish a decent (okay, baby) sized garment.

Ta-DAAAAA and here it is . . .

From GlamGirl Knits

It's a Pinwheel Sweater - which is free so even better.

The yarn is 7 Veljesta Raita by Novita (sorry for those that don't folow Raveley) ((Why not? It's free you know?)) and the pattern is really easy to get through. It's knitted in the round with gaps left for the sleeves which are then knitted down once the main part is finished.

The pluses are:
that it could be a really quick knit (I took so long because I got distracted) as I got the main part done in a few days
it's completely customisable as everything on it can be changed so you can make it in any size.
any weight of yarn can be used so would be get as a multi-coloured stash buster
I learnt to do a crochet provisional cast on for the sleeves and the edging is a great i-cord thingy so no casting off

The minuses?
I don't know anyone who has a baby that it would fit