It's often hard to leave the familiar behind and take a stroll down a new path. A journey into the unknown can be thrilling, but also intimidating ... and entered with hesitation and anxiety. I have been designing my own nordic style sweaters for just over 20 years. These were my first...
... I was so proud of them ... now, all I can see is how they could be improved! ;-) Makes me giggle!
Nordic style sweaters are easy to design ... thanks to Elizabeth Zimmerman ... believe me, I have no special talent! During the past 20 years, I've made multiple yoke styled sweaters like these for every member of the DillyDally family ... both pullovers and cardigans. After that I moved on to drop shoulder styled sweaters ... and eventually raglan. I've designed and knit them bottom-up ... top-down ... in the round and back and forth. But there has always been a style that I have deliberately avoided ... until now...
... a shaped sweater ... with the dreaded "set-in" sleeve! YIKES!!! Yes ... I have knit shaped sweaters with set-in sleeves using the patterns of others ... but never designed my own!
A friend and KBee that I work with wears a ready-made cardigan that I really like the style of ... I borrowed it from her (but dang ... forgot to take photos) and took measurements to establish a percentage system I could apply to Sister DillyDally's body measurements. As you've seen in earlier posts, I began designing this sweater a while back and just recently finished knitting the body. The above photo is the back of the cardigan...
... this is the front. It will be cut up the center to split it and then the button plackets will be knit on. Soooo ... I've finished the easy part ... shaping armholes is simple ... the challenge is designing the sleeves to fit properly.
With anxiety and a great deal of trepidation I have begun the first sleeve ... and am taking deep breaths as I travel this unknown path. All you dillydalliers out there in blogland ... I hope for you the courage I am seeking ... and wish for you the luck I'll need ... to take a new dillydally path of your own. Onward! ;-)
you go sister!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful sweater! I'm sure the sleeves will turn out perfect! Can't wait to see the finished product
ReplyDeleteAw! That's about how your kids looked when I left for college. sigh. I can't believe they're in college and beyond now!
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