Sweater a go....

Suzy Girl's got a sweater OTN! I decided on a Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, the Scoop Neck Cardigan #278 and cast on over the weekend after swatching several times. Swatch #1 doesn't really count. It was just for fun, the night I picked out the yarn, Ella Rae Classic wool in a sage green. At that point, I hadn't even settled on a pattern so it really was a pointless exercise.

Then, determined to "do it right", I knit swatch #2 on dpns as recommended on the KPS website's top down knit along page, especially written for first time sweater knitters. Yup, size 6 us dpns, in the round. And then went up to size 7's in an attempt to get gauge. In the round.

It was only after I washed and blocked this swatch that I realized that I would be knitting a cardigan back and forth on circulars!! So much for that swatch. On to swatch #3. I grabbed my size 6 us bamboo circulars. And after knitting and washing and waiting for this swatch to dry I did learn a valuable lesson. Apparently, like most knitters, my gauge, knitting in the round on dpn's is a bit tighter than when I'm knitting and purling back and forth. Size 6 it is.

So, Sunday night, while watching Colin Firth, I mean Jane Austen, on my local PBS station, I got started.

Let the Games Begin....

Some new projects are in the planning stages for me and my 2 knit compadres, Jenny Girl and Knitting Novice. Our first “made for me” sweaters!! I know, better late than never. Just because spring is on its way, doesn’t mean we can’t knit wool sweaters!

I don’t want to steal Jenny Girl’s thunder, so I’ll let her blog about her plans but I will say that Knitting Novice is planning “Wicked” as her first sweater and I think that it’s a great choice!! Be sure to stop by her blog over the next few weeks and check on her progress!!

I’ve made a few sweaters over the years for the kids, but never one for myself. I think because I don’t feel confident about my finishing skills I’ve avoided making a sweater for me. I felt less pressure putting a little sweater together, knowing if it didn’t turn out all that great, oh well, they were only going to roll around in it and it’d be outgrown soon enough anyway. On the other hand, for myself, I wanted to be sure that I was happy with the final product and the fit. But finally, this year, in the spirit of fearless knitting, I’m ready to tackle my first grown up sweater for me!!

Since tonight is “knit night” with some of the knitters from the Bucks County Guild, at Just a Knitting Basket in Huntingdon Valley, I decided to pick out my yarn. After much debate (and touching), I chose Ella Rae Classic, a very basic, reasonably priced worsted wool, in a pretty silvery, sage green. It feels nice!



Now to decide on the pattern. I have 3 potential directions I could go in. I originally thought that the EPS sweater, a la Elizabeth Zimmerman, would be my first sweater project. But I do like the idea of being able to take a top down off the needles and try it on as you go along. So I'm also considering “Something Red” by Wendy Bernard over at Knit and Tonic or one of the Knitting Pure and Simple patterns.

As you can see, I started swatching tonight. So, in the next few weeks my plan is for my sweater to be my mindless (can you say stockinette in the round), long term project for knit night Wednesdays.



Happy Knitting!