Dear Ann,
Hey, did you realize it’s almost Christmas? I think you mentioned this the other day but I paid no mind.
I did do a bit of Christmas knitting. I did it last January or February. One Saturday, I was browsing in my local yarn store, Knitty City, and I came across a cubby full of Rowan Brushed Fleece, a yarn I’d never seen before. There was a beautiful Rowan pattern booklet for it. You know the genre: arrestingly beautiful young people standing in fields under overcast skies, wearing statement sweaters. I’m a sucker for that crap. And I was particularly vulnerable that day. The Rowan Brushed Fleece knits up on US 10 needles, it was 5 balls to make a cropped raglan called Cole, the model reminded me of Carrie, and that was that. I blame it on the lure of the quickly cranked sweater in a novel and fetching yarn.
(Just clearing some brush.)
Since I don’t stash yarn,* I cast on Cole as soon as I got home. This was going to be the work of a few evenings. And it was. It was the work of a few evenings during which I remembered that I don’t enjoy yarn that is constructed by adhering fluff–even premium quality wool and alpaca fluff–onto a thin thread of something else. When I’m knitting yarns like this, the working needle wants to get stuck in the fluff, and there is a distinct drag as you pull the sausage-like strand through each stitch. The fabric has no stitch definition; it’s just a beautiful velvety puddle. It’s fine for them as likes it, but it’s Not For Me. Every yarn is not for everybody. That’s ok.
Once I’d knit the four pieces to Cole, something came up** and I didn’t get it sewn together right away. Belinda came to visit last March, and she asked, “Did you ever sew up that fleecy Rowan jumper for Carrie?” Her next question was, “So you want me to sew it up for you then?” And then she did it, like it was nothing to sew up a fleecy fluffy jumper in a yarn that doesn’t want to be pulled through stitches. While she had it laid out on the dining room table, she asked, deadpan, “Did you know you made the sleeves in two different gauges?”
I actually didn’t know that. The sleeves were in different gauges, and therefore different lengths. I must have picked up the wrong needles when I started the second sleeve? Who knows? Belinda told me I could reknit one sleeve, or she could just stick it in and see how it came out. I chose the latter. It all worked out. I guess that is a virtue of fleecy fluffiness.
I don’t have any regrets about knitting this sweater. I just feel like Carrie ought to go stand in a field while she is wearing it.
Love,
Kay
*This is kind of a lie.
**I abandoned it for something more interesting than sewing up a sweater.
Beautiful Carrie! Beautiful sweater! Blessings to you both. Lovely, too, that it was sewn up by Belinda. I miss her voice here.
I have also been thinking about something lately as I drive around looking at Christmas lights. Some houses (not all) have such color mixtures with their lights that my mind automatically thinks “Noro”. Does this happen to anyone else? Just curious.
Anyway, thanks for another great post, Kay.
LoveDiane
I’m guessing that is not actually Carrie wearing the sweater, since it is a Christmas present and it’s not Christmas yet! (But wait, won’t she read the blog and secret be ruined? So confusing.) I whipped up a Christmas hat last week, which made me feel all efficient and productive, I must say.
You’re right; it’s not a Christmas present. But maybe she’ll wear it on Christmas?
But, but, I do see stitch definition…SUCCESS!
I can’t stop laughing.
Will the lovely Carrie actually wear something mom makes now that she is an ever-so-hip college student? My own lovely offspring suddenly declared that this season she is “doing camel and cream.” Guessing the hood/cowl under the tree in a beautiful soft blue (obviously last season”s color) may languish in a drawer…sigh.
Her friends think it’s cool to have a personal knitter; I’m hoping that helps.
Finishing sweaters on time is over-rated. It’s beautiful and looks delightfully soft, though being in the almost-sixty demographic, I would have to pass. Though I could make it longer……
A laugh for you:
for one nanosecond, “the lure of the quickly cranked sweater in a novel” had me thinking, “Kay is going to recommend a knit-inspiring novel! I hope it’s available as an audiobook!”
And a huge laugh for me: the brush-clearing caption. SO FUNNY!
Thought bubble: “Where did I leave my damned sickle?”
Love the story about Belinda. I recently came across a comment she left on my blog ages ago, and it made me smile. It was even better than the little updates I get from the Hero Rat people about “Belinda’s Legacy.”
The Rowan jokes just write themselves, don’t they? The thing is, their photos really do inspire me even as I realize the ridonkulousness of the setups and getups.
The neck is beautiful. I would love to have a finishing fairy who arrives and sews the pieces all up, even the ones I’ve mucked up.
I love the neck too. I kept trying to think why I like it so much, and I think it is the awkwardness!
Well, that is the absolute best brush clearing crop top I have ever seen, different sleeves and all. (I am sure you made the one sleeve slightly shorter on purpose so it didn’t get caught on the scythe while clearing…)
Your sleeve story remind me of the Cosby Show episode where Denise makes Theo the replica designer shirt and it turns out all crazy. Although I don’t think your sleeves look all that off in the picture. 🙂 Love the sweater. Very hip.
When knitting there is nothing much worse than a yarn that is too fluffy (sticky) or a yarn that is too slippery. I see a Goldilocks and the Three Bears type story in there somewhere. I like a yarn that is “just right”.
P.S. The sweater turned out very well and should be well-liked and well-worn!
Anything looks good on Carrie – even mismatched sleeves!
I swore I wasn’t knitting anything for Christmas this year, but over the weekend, I finished the Linoleum Dishcloth I started for Mom a couple months ago. So now I feel less lazy!
Once I made the Agnes http://quinceandco.com/collections/patterns-by-name/products/agnes
And was done with the whole darn thing after binding off, I have yet to look at any sweater patterns that are 4 pieces waiting to be sewn together. I like the crop look and may try ending the Agnes even shorter:)
Yes, there is no reason for Cole to be knit in pieces except that it is a Rowan sweater. As heavy as it is, though, I was glad to work on one piece at a time; and Belinda saved the day when it came time to sew it up. She was a great one for Just Get It Done.
All of a sudden I have requests for slouchy or beanie style hats. So, I had to order some of this stuff to give it a try.
Report back, Mary!
Are miters always in character?
The Gorsuch catalog is like the Rowan magazine but for people who ski in Aspen and probably don’t knit much. Their Street Style section is full of beautiful young people standing on streets under overcast skies wearing warm clothes.
In the 2016 Gorsuch catalog is the Aspen Shawl. It looks like a woven fabric in the catalog, but would it work as a knit? It looks like it could be knit as a miter square with color-patterning for the back plus two solid triangles for the fronts. And then – voila – you have a shawl that is just-keeping-warm-business in the front and a total-yarn-frenzy-color-party in the back. I’m off to check Ravelry to see if someone’s already done this . . .
Comment
I love Brushed Fleece……yes I do!