Starting Color Stranded Sweater for Dan

Making new is more fun than either making do or mend

That sweater Dan wore to Rhinebeck our first visit?  I seriously have a mending job here.  Only I can’t get Dan to stop wearing it.

The elbows are out.  The hem has gotten caught on our kitchen cabinet drawer pulls.  (He is the family dishwasher, I am the family read aloud performer.  I think I have the best deal.  We are a little stuck on read aloud novels that everyone will agree on – suggestions for teen books that aren’t too sad, not too much kissing or plot holes?  Pride and Prejudice was fine, the guys appreciate snark).

Takeaways: if you are picking cabinet hardware, get the drawer pulls that have ends that touch the doors, not stand proud.  Less mending.

Send me book suggestions!  I’m currently re-reading Hank the Cowdog books.

I got away with a color matching goof for 25 years

Here is an interesting part: I ran out of gold mid sleeve in 1998.  The yarn I bought didn’t match.  No one has ever asked me about it.  There is just so much going on in a stranded colorwork sweater – it hides goofs.

Dan’s design criteria

Dan said he’d like a sweater like an October day at Mechanic’s Pond. This is Manchester Reservoir, a few miles away from Mechanic’s Pond, but still in Attleboro.  I picked the yarns from this photo.  He LOVES his current Shetland inspired sweater.  It’s lightweight, but warm, not tight or business fussy, and joyfully colorful.

So I bought some Spindrift.  Here they are still in their wrappers.  I don’t think I got enough of a value mix.

This is Mechanic’s Pond.  More green and grey, less brown.

My Design Strategy

As I write in my About Christine – I try to copy the shape of sweaters my guys already wear.  a tapered body isn’t traditional for a Fair Isle Sweater (at least as far as I can tell from books) but I’m making a color stranded sweater inspired by the traditional ones, not a traditional one.  I bought the Autumn Fall Leaves chart for one band, then decided to adapt or chart other bands to complement it.

I’m also using some stars (or roses) from these old friends.  Dan also wants a band of code. I told him fine, just make it 26 squares high, and don’t leave gaps of more than 8 stitches in any one color.

Progress to Date

I have a few hundred stitches to tink – I didn’t leave enough contrast at all in that last row of the evergreen tree.  I’m waiting to see if daylight says, “Eh, leave it and keep going.” or , “Tink it, tink it now.”  Daylight doesn’t usually let me get away with stuff, but, you know.

Which do you say?