I've had these 10 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in my stash for three years! They were one of the first yarns I bought when I got back into knitting and it has taken me this long to use them up. I won them in an eBay auction for £24.00, figuring £2.40 per ball for Cashmerino is a good price. Then I stashed them while I figured out what to do with them. I find 10 balls a difficult number (especially Debbie Bliss, which I find a little ungenerous): too few for an adult jumper, too many for accessories. I used a bit as a trim on a baby boy gift, then I sat on it for 3 years while I wore a lot of grey co-ordinates.
I had a few ideas on and off. First I was going to make this vintage cable vest, but I wasn't that into having a vest, nor a brown one. Then I really wanted to pair it with a yellow hand dyed yarn as an accent collar but I knew that I would get tired of it fast. Then Sewaholic saved me from myself with her perfect analogy of more cake, less frosting: I need to make more of the type of garments I would buy in a store, not what catches my eye in the yarn store. The yarn is a perfect chocolate brown, the full sun in these photos makes it look lighter than it actually is.
Taking three years to decide also helped me understand how to get the best possible finish I am capable of producing. This means choosing a pattern carefully, based on the design elements, so that I can avoid having it look too handmade. For example, sleeves: I never manage the right gauge, so seaming pieces together and setting in sleeves, never works out for me. Raglan sleeves save me from needing to match pieces and I may never knit anything with a set in sleeve again. I'm also not very good at picking up stitches (although I am willing to work on this) and having no seams/very few seams is also very important to me. Modifying a pattern to knit in the round, instead of seaming at the sides is an easy alteration to make, and one that I always do.
I've also learned a few other things along the way, like I am rubbish at joining a new ball and I have to sacrifice a few scraps of yarn to make the join where a seam would be. The other key element I liked about this pattern was that it was knit from the top down so I could carry on until I ran out of yarn. I figured if I only had enough for a cap sleeve / 3/4 sleeve / cropped waist I would just knit until it was all used up. I was delighted that I got to full length sleeves (which I always wear on the short side) and the body finished exactly where I wanted it to.
I love knitting large items on chilly evenings - my knitting becomes a lap rug while I'm watching TV! It was fast for me: one month, including a week spent ripping out the rib and re-knitting on smaller needles. Usually anything I make takes at least two months. I didn't modify the pattern very much. The pattern link and my notes are here in Ravelry. £24.00 for a cashmere/wool pullover, I'd buy that!
(Photo credits: 6yo daughter)
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