Learning Experiences, Knitting Sweaters Edition

[mizarchivist]

So, the epic sweater, the one that's made of the Malabrigo spun-by-me yarn:

I finished it!   (a few weeks ago)


And I hated it on me.  There is a picture of me in it on QE's phone, but it hasn't gotten to my repository yet.  But really, it didn't work.

So.

Now I have a lap blanket and 2 sleeves. Now that I have spun up some more of the pink, I'm working on turning the sleeves into a shrug, which I will love to wear. It will be warm and squishy.

This project has taught me:

• Provisional cast on


• Kitchener's stitch


• Blocking, for reals


• Assessing patterns a bit more before I commit


• I can knit a sweater


• I can also make shrugs, and make ones I then like to wear... and make them nice enough to have asciikitty want me to make her one, too.


• ... and because of the shrugs, I've taught myself lace. Apparently it isn't that hard to do after all. Just a lot of on purpose decorative holes. Happily I'm not too uptight if it's not 100% perfect to the pattern.


• And because of the lace, I have found I'm reading pattern symbols that were until this project mysterious and not worth figuring out.

So, net win.
Can we just talk for a minute about how asciikitty asked me to make her a thing? You know, the professional knitter? Because that's a big deal to me. 

Comments

[sariel-t.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesomesauce!

Yay!

[drwex]

Glad you got some experience and some ego-boo and something fun out of the project.

[isabelluna.livejournal.com]

I learn something new with every project too. Sweaters are not necessarily hard, but I have learned I like knitting them in one piece. For some reason I don't like sewing knitting. Learning how to read patterns is a big deal. Go you!

[mizarchivist]

I liked this pattern because it seeemed to minimize the opportunity to fuck up. Ahhhhahaha. It was shapeless, heavy, and curtained around my hips in an obnoxious way... and did not want to be buttoned or hooked or in any way held closed.

Blanket. Sleeves, soon to be shrug. Yay.
Also?? The shrugs mean I've been breaking out my brooches and pins, since pinning the sweater to my clothes mean they don't slouch off my shoulders.

I may try a proper sweater for myself, one with a proper front... later. Maybe not with home-spun. ;)

Hugs