Saturday, November 1, 2008

Sweatervember

If last month was Socktober, I hearby declare this to be Sweatervember. It's actually NaKniSweMo, but I'm not necessarily knitting a marathon sweater but just appreciating the handknit sweater this month... while knitting a couple sweaters. I have two on the needles right now.

1. Cobblestone - a pullover for my husband. The body is done and I just cast on for the first sleeve. This sweater is mostly stockinette stitch done in the round and is quite a simple knit.

2. Staghorn - a pullover for me. The pattern is from the book A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd. I love love love it. It's basically two heavily cabled panels and then sleeves with saddle shoulders. I've never knit a sweater with this construction and am quite excited about it.

Sweatervember

Per the pattern, the center panel is actually XOXO cables. I changed it to just be more staghorn cables ... smaller versions of the larger outer cables. Not much to modify, the cables just stay the same on every repeat making it easy to remember. I love the braids that run from the ribbing all the way up the front. I also love the double moss stitch for extra coziness. The saddle shoulders have the larger staghorn cable running all the way up to the neckline. I love how fluid and graceful this is. It's somewhat of a boxy pattern, but I think this detail makes it tailored enough to make it elegant.

I'm using Berocco Ultra Alpaca in the 'marsh mix' colorway... mostly green, with flecks of blue, purple, and gold in the fuzz. I thought this sweater would knit up bulkier than it is but it's really not as thick as I thought it would be and the alpaca gives it a nice drape and ultra softness.

In the photo, the back is about halfway done. I have a long way to go. For Sweatervember I want to get most, if not all of this sweater completed. As well as my husband's Cobblestone pullover. Then I want to make some sweaters for my boys. I'm thinking another Vestee for the babe this time with long sleeves and probably in a green color. His was so cute and he needs a larger version. Big brother wants another cabled pullover in brown. So both of them are getting sequals of favorite sweaters.

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