How I spent my Winter Vacation

Or don't hate me because I finished it.

I finished knitting this sweater on New Year's Day. I seamed it and blocked it that same day. I've heard that what you do on New Year's Day is what you'll do all year. Hopefully that means I'll spend the year knitting, and finishing, beautiful things.



Pattern: Woman's Knit Sweater a.k.a. my Holiday Sweater

Yarn: Knitpicks Merino Style, Hollyberry, 9 skeins

Needles: Circular Needles size 7 & 9

Modifications: My gauge was off, so I knit a size larger. In hindsight this may not have been necessary. I also changed the ribbed pattern at the bottom of the sleeves but shhh this was more of an accident than a modification, shhhhh don't tell. I haven't put the elastic stitching in yet, but I can see where that is necessary to help keep the sweater up.

Review: I am in love with this yarn. I must have frogged it seven times and it held up beautifully. I originally knit this yarn as Hopeful, but as we all know that didn't work out, so I turned to this pattern. About the third time I started this sweater I didn't really want to knit it anymore. I didn't want to own this sweater, I just wanted to get rid of the yarn so I never had to look at this shade of dark red again. It was sheer determination that kept me knitting. For some unknown reason I just felt I had to finish this sweater. Come hell or high water, regardless of how many times I had to frog and re-knit I was going to finish this sweater. My plan was to pawn the finished product off on someone else. Pre-blocking I wasn't sure I could even do that. It looked lumpy. It drooped all weird in the back, with is especially strange since the back is the same as the front and there was no strange droop in the front. I blocked it just so I could say I did it.

I can't explain it, but blocking is magic. What happened to my sweater is freakin' magic. It is smooth and even and beautiful. The sleeves hit me at just the right spot. It is just lovely, and I love it. Pre-blocking it was so awful I didn't hate anyone enough to gift them with this red monstrosity. Post-blocking? Let's just say I don't like anyone enough to part with it. I will definitely make more things with Merino Style.

Here's a back shot.



Isn't it sad that I'm so flat chested that if I hadn't labeled the pictures you wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.