Road to Golden Sweater

Pattern: Road To Golden Sweater, from Knit Scene, Fall 2007, by Lisa Shroyer.  Beautiful versions on Flickr here, here, here, here, and here.  If you're a Raveler, then many more here, too.   Size I knit:  the smallest size for the body and the medium size for the arms.  Yes, it was washed and blocked, only then I folded it for a day or so before taking these photos, leaving creases and wrinkles.  Oh well.  At least it's done.

Over four months in the making.  Sometime in November I got all crazy wanting to make this sweater, starting off at a rapid pace and hoping to finish it by the time we started skiing in December/early January.  It wasn't finished until March, after a final, daunting, and yet much shorter than expected stint weaving in ALL those ends (only about 3 hours over tea and knitting with my mom, and a movie later with C).

Yarns:  Plymouth Galway Highland Heathers #722, 742, 728, and 706.  The rusty brown and yellowish green were thrifted vintage Lee Ward's worsted wool that was a true mustard yellow, then overdyed with Kool Aid, which I also used here.  Colors below are brighter, not as deep, than in person:

Modifications:  (See in progress shot up above) I started the sleeve gusset after 2.5 repeats of the pattern, then knit up to the-armholes-minus-one-row, put the underarm stitches onto a scrap of yarn, provisionally cast on the extra stitches needed for the yoke (using the number of stitches at the top of the arm for the medium size), knit the yoke (several times), adding a pair of short rows on the back side into the solid, stockinette section at the top of the yoke to make the back of the neckline rise slightly higher than the front.  Then, picking up the provisional arm stitches and the underarm stitches, knit the arms from the top down, in the round all the way, not making the garter stitch sleeves edges flap open as in the pattern.

 

Mishaps along the way:  First try at a color combination was wrong, dull, and blechy (see below).  The yoke section had to be reknit at least three times due to 1) shoddy-looking decreases on my part,  2) too-tight fitting arm holes, and 3) too-quick decreasing leaving a strained and too-tight neck edge.  Not one of those times did I follow the raglan decreases exactly as stated in the pattern but, still, I suspect, as others have suggested too, that there might be some numbers that are off in the pattern as written, although I couldn't find an errata page online anywhere.  Also, even with knitting the arms from the top down, they were about an inch or so too short.  After one wearing and subsequent blocking, I took up the garter stitch sleeve edging and added the extra needed length.

    

Final verdict:   WARNING!!  This might hurt.  Don't get me wrong.  I like it enough.  I am wearing it and will continue to do so.  I've now worn it skiing three times.  It's warm and comfortable and fits quite well and, even though I love the colors and the way they combined together, it's just a little too bright and loud and just is the wrong coloring on me.   My favorite part is the "striping" at the shoulders of the yoke.

Would I walk into a store and buy it off the rack?  No.

Would I walk into a thrift store and buy it off the rack?  No.

Did I enjoy knitting it?  Yes.  More than 95% of the time, I'd say, and that's all that really counts.   Ultimately, I'm glad to have knit this and proud of myself for not letting the things I didn't like about it slide, forcing myself to go back and fix the parts that weren't quite right the first, second, or even third time around, rather than just living with it the way it was.

THIS is why you don't see too many finished sweaters here that are knit for me... at least until the next time you do, and remind me before then to use yarn that's nice and heathery and grey the way I like it, OK?

By the way, it's really hard to get decent pictures of a sweater while you're wearing it, even in a huge mirror with plenty of room to maneuver and adjustable lighting, without looking off balance an all hunched over.      

Comments

[fleur]

Well, it really fits you and I like it very much!

[Hege]

It's beautiful and you look great in it!

God påske! (Happy easter)

[melissa]

Thank you for such a thorough and honest account. The sweater is beautiful.

[Magdalena]

I would buy it off the rack! And it is not just a compliment.

[Georgia]

I think it's gorgeous and looks great on you.

[Hanna]

What a beautiful sweater! Though those ends are frightful ...

Really, it's quite an accomplishment. And it looks lovely on you!

[Elizabeth]

I was thinking how great you did photographing different angles of yourself. I know how hard that is.
This is a great sweater.
It's too bad you don't like the colours for yourself because it looks great in the photo. But I have also know the letdown factor after all the anticipation of having the finished garment. That will pass after you get a lot of nice in person comments about it!

[Ellen]

What a neat design - 2 shirts in one - layered approach - it really comes to life more when you see it on someone. I'd love to try this, but maybe with a v-neck. But first I've got to hone my knitting skills more.

[madelinetosh]

This is just beautiful colorwork! You know this will have to be handed down someday with all the time and love invested in it.

xo

[Lynn]

It is beautiful.

[Brandy]

The sweater is beautiful! I like your color combination. I also like the way the colors go over the sleeve. Very neat design element.

I get a lot of inspiration off of your blog - thanks again!

[Vickery]

I think it's a fantastic sweater! Bravo!

[Lizz]

Oh how sweet!

[Brandy]

What a great sweater! It looks beautiful on you.

[Julia]

I love your version! I think it looks retro and awesome on you afterall. I can't believe all those ends though..yikes! Guess they add to the warmth, though. ;)

[saunaknitter]

Your sweater turned out very nice. I love that shoulder part too! I can totally understand loving the colors, but not loving wearing them. Looks very cozy.

[Cristina]

I felt that way about the colors of a sweater I made for my son...it took a bath in black walnuts and now it's one of our favorites.

http://philacraft.blogspot.com/2006/10/archaeologie.html