After two years (nearly to the week), I’ve finished my Forecast sweater. This is unprecedented finishing for me: four projects in the last three weeks, two of them garments and one a blanket. My mother suggested it’s hormonal. Not sure where that came from, but I’ll take it over PMS any day.

Specs:

Started: 11th February 2006 for the Knitting Olympics (remember those?)
Finished: 7th February 2008
Pattern: Forecast, by Stefanie Japel (Knitty, Winter 2005)
Yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted in Samantha-Katya Pink (this is my favourite yarn colour, ever.)
Needles: Size 8 and 9 Denise
Modifications: I worked 3-stitch bobbles instead of 5- and worked the sleeve ribbing from the elbows. Out of concern the armholes were a little too small, I crocheted a wee underarm gusset during seaming. I sewed the arms until about an inch remained, then I crocheted around the remaining opening and sewed it closed. I’m not convinced it was necessary, but there’s the perfect amount of room in the pits.

This sweater involved a multitude of firsts for me. I had never cabled before (and haven’t since, actually, though I plan to in a scarf I’m making for the man). I had never knitted bobbles before (and am now convinced bobble knitters are insane. Knitted bobbles flout the laws of all that is good about knitting. I’m tempted to make a t-shirt that says: Bobble knitters, crocheting will change your life). I’d never made a cardigan before, nor had I (consequently) ever knitted buttonholes. Again, crocheters have it made with buttonholes, though knitted ones flout no laws. Mine came out fine, but a little loose. I hear this is a drawback to the backward loop cast on. I’ll likely sew the holes a bit to make them tighter. Lots of firsts.

The sweater fits pretty much perfectly. I prefer my sleeves a bit longer; the next time I wash it I might try to stretch them a bit in blocking. The collar is huge. This is a good lesson: Even if the pattern calls for starting with the collar, I will knit it last. I’m no longer intimidated by picking up stitches (the button bands beat that out of me, at long last), so this will be no problem. Yes, I feel myself growing as a knitter, becoming more comfortable modifying patterns (my knitting self and crocheting self at times seem like two different people). I can’t say I anticipate I’ll wear this sweater too much; a looser-fitting cardigan is more my thing. But I love this sweater mostly for having made it at all. Oh, yes. It is love.

I enjoy cabling and love the look of cables. There will be more in my future. There will be no more knitted bobbles in my future. There will be knitted buttonbands, though I have no set plans for another cardigan.

Peace, man.

22 responses to “The Forecast is for Completion”

  1. Claire Avatar

    Love it! Also: Love your fireplace and your croched turtleneck below–very modern and chic.

  2. Claire Avatar

    Love it! Also: Love your fireplace and your croched turtleneck below–very modern and chic.

  3. Alison Avatar

    I love it! And the photos are great!

    I wound up with a weird big neckline on my first knitted cardigan as well. However the rest of the cardigan does not fit nearly as nicely as yours does. :)

  4. Alison Avatar

    I love it! And the photos are great!

    I wound up with a weird big neckline on my first knitted cardigan as well. However the rest of the cardigan does not fit nearly as nicely as yours does. :)

  5. julie Avatar

    *claps* well done. knitted bobbles? shudder.

  6. julie Avatar

    *claps* well done. knitted bobbles? shudder.

  7. Yarn Thing Avatar

    She is a Crocheter who Knits ;-) I knew I loved you…LOL

    That looks great on you! The pictures are wonderful!

    Great Job!

    Marly

  8. Yarn Thing Avatar

    She is a Crocheter who Knits ;-) I knew I loved you…LOL

    That looks great on you! The pictures are wonderful!

    Great Job!

    Marly

  9. Sheryl Avatar

    Send me some hormones if this is the end result! It is beautiful and looks great on you. Stefanie does such a fabulous job of designing beautiful knitwear.

  10. Sheryl Avatar

    Send me some hormones if this is the end result! It is beautiful and looks great on you. Stefanie does such a fabulous job of designing beautiful knitwear.

  11. mmt Avatar
    mmt

    Isn’t Peace Fleece the coolest thing?Beautiful work.

  12. mmt Avatar
    mmt

    Isn’t Peace Fleece the coolest thing?Beautiful work.

  13. Juanita Avatar

    Oh wow. I couldn’t help flip back and forth between Magknits and your blog to see the modifications that you’ve made.
    Yours looks superb!

    P.S. I had just popped over from Granny-along.

  14. Juanita Avatar

    Oh wow. I couldn’t help flip back and forth between Magknits and your blog to see the modifications that you’ve made.
    Yours looks superb!

    P.S. I had just popped over from Granny-along.

  15. Shannon Avatar

    Beyond gorgeous! You’ve officially given me the needed kick in the pants to finish mine…

  16. Shannon Avatar

    Beyond gorgeous! You’ve officially given me the needed kick in the pants to finish mine…

  17. Dorothy Avatar

    Beautiful and well fitting.

    As for the underarm gussets, all the other raglan seamless patterns I have seen have you cast on an inch of stitches when you join the body parts together and again when you work the sleeves. In fact, Elizabeth Zimmerman says that was what made the seamless construction work at all.

    I haven’t made an SJ pattern yet but noticed in Fitted Knits that she doesn’t do that and I wondered if that meant the pits would be tight. I am seriously thinking of making this sweater (thanks to ravelry, I didn’t think the photos in knitty made it all that appealing) but would add a few stitches to give some arm freedom.

  18. Dorothy Avatar

    Beautiful and well fitting.

    As for the underarm gussets, all the other raglan seamless patterns I have seen have you cast on an inch of stitches when you join the body parts together and again when you work the sleeves. In fact, Elizabeth Zimmerman says that was what made the seamless construction work at all.

    I haven’t made an SJ pattern yet but noticed in Fitted Knits that she doesn’t do that and I wondered if that meant the pits would be tight. I am seriously thinking of making this sweater (thanks to ravelry, I didn’t think the photos in knitty made it all that appealing) but would add a few stitches to give some arm freedom.

  19. Club Penguin Cheats Avatar

    I couldn't help flip back and forth between Magknits and your blog to see the modifications that you've made.

  20. Club Penguin Cheats Avatar

    I couldn't help flip back and forth between Magknits and your blog to see the modifications that you've made.

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