There Once was a Sweater from Nantucket . . .
No, it's not time for a knitting limerick yet. I just figured it was about time for me to blog about the main project I have on my needles right now. It's hard to believe I haven't blogged about this already, but I guess I've had a lot of smallish finished objects (and poems) to post about recently.
Anyway, like just about everyone else in the world, I was immediately attracted to the Nantucket Jacket from the cover of the Winter 2006 Interweave Knits. I decided to make mine in a pretty neutral color, letting the pattern speak for itself. The yarn I'm using is Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran in grey. Here it is so far, with the back and the right front panels finished.
Like Johanna, I have some reservations about the two-stitch twists that run up the entire length of the sweater, but couldn't quite bring myself to rip back and replace them with something like the baby cable rib I used on my Sockapaloooza socks. I think the twists look fine from a distance, but they do look unnecessarily sloppy up close.
I also had a lot of problems getting gauge--I think I ended up casting on three times before I got it right. My swatch gauge seemed fine, but when I actually cast on for the back, I would have been able to wrap the back panel around my entire body if I had continued knitting. That's how far off I was. I had intended to make the 36" size, but I ended up both switching to 7s and making the 34" size. In retrospect, I'm glad I am making the smallest size--I'm not crazy about the large seed stitch sections that border the lace panels in the larger sizes, and I probably would have ended up making some modifications there anyway.
I am enjoying knitting the sweater, although it's been a bit slow going, just because I've had so many other small projects to distract me. The cable pattern is actually remarkably intuitive, and I don't need to look at the chart after the first repeat, so that makes it pretty easy to work on wherever I am.
Anyway, like just about everyone else in the world, I was immediately attracted to the Nantucket Jacket from the cover of the Winter 2006 Interweave Knits. I decided to make mine in a pretty neutral color, letting the pattern speak for itself. The yarn I'm using is Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran in grey. Here it is so far, with the back and the right front panels finished.
Like Johanna, I have some reservations about the two-stitch twists that run up the entire length of the sweater, but couldn't quite bring myself to rip back and replace them with something like the baby cable rib I used on my Sockapaloooza socks. I think the twists look fine from a distance, but they do look unnecessarily sloppy up close.
I also had a lot of problems getting gauge--I think I ended up casting on three times before I got it right. My swatch gauge seemed fine, but when I actually cast on for the back, I would have been able to wrap the back panel around my entire body if I had continued knitting. That's how far off I was. I had intended to make the 36" size, but I ended up both switching to 7s and making the 34" size. In retrospect, I'm glad I am making the smallest size--I'm not crazy about the large seed stitch sections that border the lace panels in the larger sizes, and I probably would have ended up making some modifications there anyway.
I am enjoying knitting the sweater, although it's been a bit slow going, just because I've had so many other small projects to distract me. The cable pattern is actually remarkably intuitive, and I don't need to look at the chart after the first repeat, so that makes it pretty easy to work on wherever I am.
posted by Norah at 10:24 AM
3 Comments:
that looks beautiful, norah! i agree that those cables look funny up close, but from a distance, they look great. good luck with the continuing progress! ~gabriella
That sweater is so beautiful. I'm loving watching these pop up over blogland. Getting so close to starting one myself . . .
Norah, i have finished that sweater in the 36" size, all along thinking that it seemed HUGE! i kept going, trying to have faith, but it is 8" too big. you were so smart to make the smallest size and drop down two needle sizes!!!!!!!! i'm wishing i would have follwed my intuition!
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