While I've never betrayed my aesthetic tastes merely because of a moniker, I have to admit that knitting patterns with literary connections tend to catch my eye! Agatha Christie and J.R.R. Tolkien are currently tied in my collection, with three sock patterns for the former and two sock patterns and a sweater pattern for the latter (my recent Elven Woods socks included -- if you're looking for "literary socks," I highly recommend This Handmade Life patterns).
I've had Maria Olson's lovely Grey Havens sweater pattern in my queue for ages -- I even purchased Wool of the Andes in colorway "Sagebrush" back in August of 2019. Last December I finished up my Poolside sweater (which I still need to photograph, now that I've taken several inches off the bottom and it's actually wearable) and finally started on Grey Havens.
It turned out to be quite the project! It took me several months of dedicated work to complete, and it was my companion as I
grieved the loss of a baby and then lost another. Knitting is a sort of therapy, and the slowness of it means that stories are woven into each project.
It wasn't a hard knit, but there were a lot of details and charts to keep track of. This particular pattern isn't the easiest to adjust, since the interlocking cables have to match up on the body and the sleeves -- but happily it fits fine (just a hair on the long side), and the yarn that seemed a bit stiff softened up nicely after blocking.
As is usual for me, I didn't finish it in time to wear it before the weather warmed up! So even though I finished it in May and haven't worn it yet, I'm posting pictures now because we both know I'll never get around to it if I wait. *wink*
I've just cast on
a sweater for Rosa -- let's see if I can finish it for the fall...
It's so beautiful! Your stitches are all so even and pretty. (Tension is something I have so much trouble with.) And I really love the color you chose. It's just a little silvery, so it kind of pays tribute to the pattern's name.
ReplyDeleteI've wanted to knit a cabled sweater for a long time...but I find both cables and sweaters intimidating. Seeing someone else do it with such beautiful results is giving me that itch to try again. And the sweater is TOLKIEN themed.
Did you like the way the yarn worked for your sweater, or would you have chosen something different if you were to make it again? Did you need to do any aggressive blocking to make the cables look good?
Lissy,
DeleteThank you for your kind words! I knit continental style, which has really helped me with tension/speed -- though a good blocking always helps. ;-) Yes, I do love how the color fits the sweater! And sagebrush is a common plant where we currently live, so it ties in nicely.
I highly recommend learning to cable! I started with simple projects (a hat, I think), and was surprised that it was so much easier than I thought it would be. And sweaters are great, if a bit time consuming. If you have someone small to make one for it would give you the feel for it without a huge time/energy/material investment. Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels the pull of literary themed patterns! ;-)
I was worried the yarn/weave was going to be too stiff, but it was so much better after blocking. I didn't have to block aggressively, I basically just laid it out flat. I find that unless your yarn is very "slippy" (like an alpaca blend), the cables usually block/bloom themselves very nicely. I would use this yarn again, though I think it might be better in something slightly lighter weight with a bit more drape. I got it at $1.75 a skein on sale, so it was certainly an economical choice for a wool sweater.
Wishing you the best with your knitting, and thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
Shannon
Thank you so much! Your comment on slippy yarn makes me wonder, because the first time I ever knit cables (I've only done it twice to date) I used a silk blend and I had real trouble blocking them. I think the gauge was also a bit of an issue with that project.
DeleteThe only other project I ever knitted that featured cables I made with bamboo yarn, which was also fairly slippery. The cables didn't look 'bad' per se, they just didn't look the way I'd wanted them to, and it was discouraging.
Now I know though, and I will use something with more texture. Thanks a million!