Sweater

Was there ever a more appropriate name for a 100% wool garment worn on a day when it’s projected to reach 104°? Or the person modeling said garment?

By the time we got outside with the camera, just before 10:00am, the heat index was already at 92° with 67% humidity. Not to mention the mosquitos. It’s not even summer yet! I suppose we must suffer for our art…

But the rewards are great. I’m really happy with how this sweater turned out. Long stretches went by without working on it this spring and the whole project took entirely too long to complete, but I’ve got quite a sense of accomplishment now that this is finished.

The place I originally wanted to get buttons had either shut down or moved (I got conflicting reports), so I went by an LYS. They had nice buttons, but not any appropriate for a nerdy cardigan. So I went by Hancock Fabrics, which had a surprisingly wide selection, plus they were having a 30% off sale. I couldn’t make up my mind, so I freaked out several fellow customers by soliciting their opinions. After they calmed down, we eventually all agreed that I would go with wood. Nice, no?

Now, like any project, there are a few flaws. There is a school of thought that, kept to oneself, these flaws will never become apparent. But I’m the type to be wracked with guilt unless I confess, so here we go:

The buttons are not evenly spaced – they’re a little closer together at the bottom than at the top. The button band isn’t quite even with the bottom edge on the right side. I knit where I should have purled (or vice versa) in one place on the sewn-on button band. The necks or shanks behind the buttons are a bit tall; I did that so that they wouldn’t bite into the button band, but they look a little funny and dangly when not buttoned.

I feel better.

Now to put this away until it gets cold, if it gets cold, many many months from now. My plan is to wear this at work in my chilly corner of the library. Now to obtain and learn how to tie a bow tie…