Elizabeth Hat, With Some Extra Love

I am very much a sweater knitting kind of girl, but I needed a hat for very practical reasons. Prior to this hat, I was wearing a raggedy crocheted hat made by Burton. How could a knitter wear something that looks handmade but isn't handmade? I guess the biggest reason was that none of the hats I made in the past were warm enough - yes, they were very cute looking, but it couldn't withstand my wet hair and the cold wind tunnels. Also, my head is shaped like a bowling ball, so most hats are too long but not wide enough! The solution? I made the Elizabeth Hat, a cabled hat that requires the use of bulky weight yarn. Thicker yarn + cabling = more elasticity = more room for my giant head! The pattern itself was very generously posted on Ravelry for free. I used a skein of leftover yarn from my Corona, plus an alpaca tweed that I picked up at Rhinebeck. For some reason, this tweed just wants to be double stranded with something else, instead of a standalone - I used the majority of the tweed making this - it's the warmest sweater I own, so I thought it would be perfect for this hat. The hat was completed within one roundtrip work commute on the subway, and I was happy wearing it as it was originally designed, except that it got too stretchy over time and the alpaca was really itchy - I needed a barrier! So, I knit myself a little woolen band using my smallest DPNs (#1s). I used a provisional cast on, making the width of the band slightly smaller than the 2 x 2 ribbing of the hat. The length was determined by me wrapping the band around my head, stopping when it was snug. I then did a three needle bind off with the two live ends, creating a loop. Lastly, I turned the hat inside out, put the lining around the outside, and sewed it in place. Done! It was some extra work, but it was well worth the effort. Now I'll have a hat that I will actually wear for its practical AND aesthetic value - imagine that!

Modified Elaine's Blouse

Excuse the mess in the background! I finished this sweater last Saturday, but with all of the guests we've had, there has been no time to take pictures of my most recent completed project (or clean the apartment, for that matter)... The basic pattern for this came out of the Winter 2008 Interweave Knits, called the Elaine Blouse. I didn't alter the basic pattern very much - the biggest modification is the cable pattern in the front. I lifted that pattern directly from here, which was originally designed to be an afghan square. I used Joseph Galler Superfine Prime Alpaca Yarn that I got at the Yarn Tree in Brooklyn. I was hoping to make this sweater without having to buy another cone (one cone has 665 yards in it) and I am happy to report that I was successful! I was unsuccessful in NOT buying another cone, however - I went back and bought two more cones for another project that is in the works. Something about the feel of alpaca - I can't get enough of it! I'm slightly obsessed. My previous alpaca projects have been hats and scarves for the most part, as I have heard that Alpaca has the tendency to grow horizontally after washing/blocking. Luckily, that has not happened to me as of yet. Giddiness aside, I am not sure if the ribbing is placed appropriately or is very flattering on my non-womanly figure, but overall the sweater is comfortable, not itchy, hasn't pilled, and was all done under $30. Can't beat that. Oh, and I also love the non-functional buttons up the back! Courtesy of M&J.

Climbing Vines Pullover

Why is it that you want things you can't have, but if you think about them long enough, it somehow happens? The stars were in alignment when I came across this pattern in the Winter 2008 Interweave Knits - for the longest time, I had wanted a similar version of this sweater I saw by Phildar. Their version is in French, and I tried to buy it through the link they posted without much luck. Plus, my French is pretty lousy, so even if I somehow managed to obtain the pattern, I probably wouldn't be able to figure it out! So lucky for me that they came out with something comparable. The finished product you see is actually my second attempt at this sweater using Beaverslide worsted weight yarn that is a blend of merino and mohair. My first sweater I had to frog; it was also through Beaverslide, and it was also worsted weight, but made entirely of wool. Because the fiber wasn't as soft, I couldn't get a small gauge, and my sweater came out big, too big to block into submission, unfortunately. It did give me an opportunity to practice the vine pattern however, so I'm not too upset about it. (The frogged yarn is now in the process of being made into the Shalom Cardigan, as the project requires a big gauge.) The biggest challenge for this project was that the length of the sweater is pretty much decided for you, because you had to stop the pattern repeat in a certain place in order to make the neckline. My sweater came out a little shorter than I had wanted; if I were to make the pattern again, I would do a provisional cast-on for the bottom, so that I could have the option of adding on more length later. I also did garter stitch across the entire front, and I also made the neckline higher and not so wide. I avoided seaming like I usually do by doing a three needle bind off for the shoulders, then picked up stitches and did short-rows for the sleeves. I left the sleeve bottoms unfinished by not doing the ribbing - I am still not sure how I feel about that yet, so it may be altered later. I kind of like the rolled-edge look, but since it's not rolled in any other place, I don't know if it works...

SALE!

Oh, neglected blog. More posts to come, soon - completed but unposted projects include the climbing vines pullover and a fully-lined Elizabeth (which sadly, I can't find now). Some works in progress include: a modified Elaine's Blouse, Shalom Cardigan, and the impossibly intricate, gorgeous, but pain in the butt Eva Raglan Pull. Side note and a quick FYI to all people who love discount yarns: there's a sale going on at Knots and Bolts until midnight tonight - you can get your project staples like Cascade 220 for a little over $5 - woohoo! Not as cheap as Knitpicks, but I find Cascade pills less, at least for me. It's time to stock up - in times of recession, every little bit helps. Cheers!

The Yarn Tree

I never liked going to yarn stores in NYC much - they tend to be overcrowded, and the regulars who dominate the knitting tables are a little intimidating. Perhaps that's why I've been drawn to stores not centrally located, and therefore harder to access; my yarn store of choice this past year has been Brooklyn General, but I didn't get to go as often as I would have liked, given my job in the Bronx - by the time I get there, it's usually closed, and then I have to transfer three trains to go home empty handed (sniff)! This weekend I went to the Yarn Tree for the first time with a couple of friends and I think I've found my match! Although the yarn selection isn't as big, the hours are geared towards the working folk - 4 to 9 pm on most days - how lovely! The woman at the store was very friendly, and the one person knitting in the back of the room did not have a crazed look in her eyes. Plus, there was a dog in the store, sleeping on a little ledge in front of the store. All good signs. The store is located in a remote part of Williamsburg, and tricky to get to - the J, M, or Z will get you there the quickest, although I think it's possible to take the L as well if you want to walk. The upside of walking is looking at all of the random graffiti on the walls of buildings. It's more like art than graffiti though, I think...... so after being taken in by the neighborhood and the shelves full of woolly goodness, I ended up buying 665 yards of fingering weight alpaca. I was very excited to make a sweater out of this, but now I am starting to think that this is still not enough. Now I have to go back before they run out of that dye lot, and I know I'll end up falling in love with something else and end up buying more yarn. Ugh! The vicious cycle of buying and stashing begins...

Asymmetrical Cabled Cardigan

A very short knitting project - this was was done quickly, using frogged yarn from a failed project using KnitPicks worsted weight yarn. The frogged yarn resembled ramen noodles, and it was twisted around while I was knitting; I didn't bother straightening it out very much after I unraveled, and so the texture of my finished product was not as smooth as I would have liked, even after a harsh blocking! I got the pattern for this cardi here. Minor modifications: I casted on 16 stitches less on the body than what the pattern called for so that I would have a tighter fit. I didn't change anything for the sleeves. My yarn wasn't stable enough to support button holes or a stand-up collar very well, so I cheated: I sewed the sweater closed so that I would have to pull the sweater up over my head in order to wear it. Doing so limits my ability to wear the sweater open in front, but since it's asymmetrical, it looks a little funny if you wear the cardigan open anyway. If I were to make this again, I would use a sturdier yarn so I can actually get usage out of my buttonholes, or find a better way to make buttonholes. I'm very happy that I now have a sweater that I can wear after normal sweater season is over, and I love having a project that didn't require me to make long sleeves! Sleeves, while functional things to have, are so so boring to knit! I needed a break.

Cable Sweater Inspired by Rebecca

Hurray, my first completed sweater for 2009! This sweater was a labor of love, a project inspired from the cables in this Rebecca pattern. The yarn is double stranded so that it would knit to gauge - I used Cascade 220 in cream with an alpaca tweed that I bought at the Sheep and Wool festival in Rhinebeck back in October. I knitted the body in the round, making 3 decreases for the waist, and three increases for the bust. I used the cable pattern in the front AND the back, so I casted on the same number of stitches (78?) for each side. I knitted the sleeves in the round, after picking up 50 stitches for the armhole, knitting 3 rounds in garter stitch before doing the rest in stockinette. After doing six inches for the sleeves, I decreased two stitches every four rows 10 times until I had 30 stitches left. I ended the sleeves by doing 2x2 ribbing for 2.5 inches. For the shoulders, I bound off 11 stitches for each shoulder with a three-needle bind-off. For the cowl neck, I picked up the rest of the stitches from the front and back that were not bound off for the shoulders, picked up a couple of stitches from the sides, and knit in the round for 8 inches. I did the last 4-5 rounds in seed stitch (purl, knit, purl, knit to the end on the first row, then knit, purl, knit, purl to the end on the following row). I bound off loosely, weaved in the ends, and voila! Since this sweater is tighter fitting and thicker than most of my sweaters, I didn't dare block it - I wore it to work yesterday and it has kept me comfortably warm in my freezer box of an office. I am also happy to say that despite the sweater having a cowl neck, it is not itchy or irritating in the least. So far, so good!

Beaverslide Dry Goods

I realized that I haven't posted much about knitting recently... Although I am not as frantic as I was during the holidays, I am trying not to slack off too much - currently I have two projects in the works, one of which is making a sweater out of this beautiful yarn from Beaverslide Dry Goods. All of the yarn comes from their farm in Montana. The prices are reasonable, given the amount of yardage you get, and the pictures they post of the yarn are pretty accurate. Although the color palette is much more vivid than I'm used to, I think this is a wonderful change for me, considering my tendency to veer towards various shades of brown! I haven't washed the yarn, so I don't know if the color bleeds or if the vivid colors tend to fade over time. I bought two types of yarn; four wool skeins in a gold-ish yellow, and four skeins of the blue, which is an alpaca and wool blend. I have 1.5 sleeves and a collar to do before the blue yarn gets unveiled to the world - can't wait! I am still on the lookout for a project that will complement the yellow yarn - although the blue and yellow are both considered worsted weight, I found that the yellow yarn is more bulky to work with... No matter what I do, my gauge is somewhere around 3-4 stitches per inch! Surely there are some patterns out there that are dying to be matched to this yarn, but it has yet to be found~

Last Minute Knitted Gift - Gull Lace Patterned Scarf

Although I didn't finish this in time for Christmas, the finished product will be promptly mailed in time for New Year's. The gift recipient is my boyfriend's nine year old cousin, who I taught how to knit over the summer while visiting his family in Maine. I agonized over the yarn choice, as I am partial to natural fibers - I ended up settling for an acrylic/wool blend in a dusty rose that I got from the new Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC, as I figured that acrylic is more washer-friendly and thus more kid friendly. I used two balls of wool-ease in blush heather. To save time, I double stranded the yarn, using size 9 needles. The pattern was inspired by Elizabeth Zimmerman's February baby sweater, where I used the 7 stitch pattern repeat twice, then used a plain garter stitch as a border. I started it at the JFK airport on Christmas eve, where I got a huge chunk of it done, as I was stuck there from 4pm until my delayed plane left at midnight. I didn't get home until 3 a.m... At one point, I was so bored that I started taking pictures of the ceiling, something that hadn't noticed or much appreciated before:

It has a nice 70s look to it, no?

The Making of the Beau

The "Beau" is one of many patterns from Rowan's Vintage Knits - I think what drew me to the sweater was the simple but aesthetically pleasing construction plus the hilarious poses of the model wearing the sweater in the book (see center), as it was quite obvious that he was trying very hard to look rugged and sexy~ When the weather gets slightly less freezing, the plan is to reenact some of the poses, so it should be a good time! This is my first experience knitting a man's sweater, and for someone who is used to making XS-S (30"-33") sweaters for myself, making a 42" sweater was quite daunting and at times monotonously boring~ As I was knitting it, I kept thinking that I was making it too big, and I ruined the element of surprise by having my gift recipient try on the sweater during its various stages of being. I didn't dare make any alterations to the pattern (although I have no problems making changes on something I would wear), so I pretty much followed the pattern as written, the only exception being that I knitted the body in the round up until the start of the sleeves, and I knitted the sleeves in the round up until they called for shoulder shaping. Therefore, the only sewing I had to do were the sleeves and the shoulder, which wasn't so bad. I used 11.5 balls of the charcoal heather with my usual go-to yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes. Since I am a very loose knitter, my sweater stretched considerably during the blocking process, and I had to do some quick work to shorten the sleeves because they stretched out quite a bit. Other than that, I was happy with my first man-sweater - although I did lose interest in finishing it around mid-November, I am glad I stuck it out and finished it in time for the holidays. Now I can focus my attention on smaller and more immediately gratifying projects!

Beau is finally done!

Buttons are on, and blocked! More on this later~

Pics from Sheep and Wool

Here are some of my pictures taken at the Duchess County Sheep and Wool Festival. It's about a two hour drive from NYC, and it's as crazy as everyone said it was going to be - lots of knitters wearing their hand knit creations, accompanied by similarly outfitted spouses/partners/pets - it was very nerdy, but very fun to be around people who were so passionate! It was also very cold - I always forget that the city with all of its concrete and lack of trees makes the temperature 20 degrees hotter than it actually is elsewhere - thank goodness we were surrounded by skeins of yarn that we can conveniently drape over our necks! I promised myself to be good and not go too crazy with the yarn purchasing, as I am starting to have an unmanageable stash - I did get a good deal on two skeins of alpaca tweed that I couldn't resist - each skein was 600 yards, and winding that one into a ball was certainly a workout! I also got some salmon pink yarn that I think is going to be a Sideways Spencer, and I had to make one luxury purchase - a variegated superwash yarn from Brooks Farm (see center pic), which I think I am going to incorporate into a fair isle pattern - another idea I had was to do a yoke pattern, and use the variegated yarn for just the yoke part, as I only have 300 yards. Ahhh... so many decisions!

Corona is Completed~

Hurray! I finally got a chance to finish up one of my bigger projects. I got the pattern from CanaryKnits. It's accessible by Ravelry here, as well as through her blog. It's highly recommended that you check out her work - she has a lot of adorable patterns that she very generously posts for free. I don't think I did the pattern much justice - the yarn color is a bit drab. A pastel shade would be perfect for this, except I am not confident that I have the skin type to pull pastels off successfully... As for the pattern itself, I only made slight modifications - some of it on purpose, some of it not. I casted on more than what was stated on the pattern (an error), and instead of fixing it, I just kept going. I did 2x2 ribbing for 3 inches, instead of 1x1 for 5, so that it's looser on the bottom, because my body type is tubular, rather than the enviable hourglass - any emphasis on the waist makes me look more rotund and stumpy (frown) so it is to be avoided! This was the first time I did waist shaping, so that was fun - I didn't make as many decreases at the waist for the aforementioned reasons, and I didn't make as many increases for the bust. The tricky part was the paneling - I did that part many times over, because I couldn't figure out which direction to go in, at all! I am helpless with any kind of directions, so no surprise there. Luckily, I owned a sweater that had similar paneling, and I was able to figure it out from just looking at it. The project itself didn't take too long to do, but I am procrastinator when it comes to sewing in ends and blocking. I think I may re-block it again, as my tendency to knit VERY loosely causes my sweaters to grow exponentially in size. All in all however, a happily completed project!

Functional Work Item

Another great pattern from the Purl Bee - the original pattern is called Pretty Lace Hand warmers, although I wouldn't say my hand warmers are exactly pretty - I think it was my yarn choice, but I couldn't help but think from far away, it looks like I have hairy hands! Nonetheless, they have come in handy, as our office thermostat never can accurately gauge what is a comfortable room temperature. We are now at the stage of the season where you can't predict whether your day will be cold or hot, and so the default temperature at work is infinite coldness. My work involves sitting at my desk at a computer all day, so fingerless gloves are a much needed accessory for the arctic tundra that is my work space. Next time around, I would use softer yarn and a prettier color, but practically speaking, these hand warmers are a good transitional item during a temperamental seasonal change.

Lazy Knitting

Hurray, it's sweater season! Fall has to be one of my favorite times of year - the leaves are changing color, it's prime time for apple-picking (not to mention all of the good things that come with it: spiced cider, apple pie, apple donuts...!), and the perfect time for taking hibernating sweaters out of the cedar chest. I think I got a little too excited about this, as I have been knitting in hyper drive, more so than usual. I don't have any problems with the bottom half of the sweater usually - I can take it with me on my commute on the train, and if it's a relatively easy pattern, I don't have to think about it much. The problem I am encountering is when I get past the bottom half and have to either proceed to the sleeves, which require using DPNs or to actually start reading the pattern to make decreases for the sleeves and the neckline. That requires a little more precision and concentration than a train ride + sleepy person can usually warrant, so I end up with projects sitting sadly (sob) in my "to be finished" bag. The projects on hold are (from left): the Stardust, Corona, and the Beau. I have no excuse for putting off the last project, but when you are accustomed to making XS/S sweaters and have to transition into making an XL sweater, each round seems to take absolutely forever~ Other projects not pictured includes things I am making with my leftover yarn: the foliage hat from my leftover Rowan, and The Anthropologie Inspired Capelet from my Louisa Harding. Then there's the gansey that I started last October. Ug.

Platinum #2 is done!

I just finished my second platinum sweater from KnitScene - a Christmas present for my mom, I think... Since comfort trumps all in my mom's book, I chose a yarn that was very soft to the touch. I used Louisa Harding's Grace, which is a blend of silk and wool, purchased at my favorite NYC knitting store, Brooklyn General - and it feels incredible! The only concern I have about the yarn is the pill factor, and there were some strange patches throughout because the yarn is a little lumpy in places. I suppose it adds to the charm, or that's what I tell myself anyway... And maybe my head is getting a little big? Embarrassingly enough, I had some difficulty fitting my head through the neck - I have to figure out a looser bind-off technique! For the sleeves, I picked up stitches and did short rows, a lesson that I learned in my previous project, the Starsky. Currently I have about 5 projects lined up - with Sheep and Wool coming up, as well as the cold weather and holiday season, the pressure is on!

Knitting/Pranking Fun at Shea Stadium

Although I love playing sports, I'm not much of a sports spectator. So when my boyfriend's two uncles came to NYC this weekend to see the Mets (in Queens) and the Yankees (in the Bronx), I was dreading the obligatory outing, making sure to bring plenty of knitting to keep me sane during the long inning stretches. One must note that this season is somewhat significant, as it will be the last time the two teams will be playing in their old stadiums, because each team has simultaneously built new stadiums that will be unveiled in the upcoming season. (If you see the pic on left, the old and new Mets stadiums are built right next to each other... ugh... Personally, I think it's a waste of space, resources, and money to build new stadiums when the old ones were perfectly adequate, but for one reason or another, people are very excited about it, so I won't say much more!)

Just as my luck would have it, our game on Saturday ended up being a doubleheader, because the game from the night before was rained out. There were some good outcomes: I finished a belt for my recently completed Starsky because I couldn't make up my mind about closures. I casted on 12 stitches, and on the right side, K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1 and did the reverse for the wrong side. Although I didn't measure, I think it ended up being a little over 48 inches. So an immediate decision about closures can be postponed for a little bit longer...


I also got another gift at Shea Stadium in the form of amusement when in the middle of the second game, a drunken and passed out spectator became the object of ridicule for many. The incident amazingly enough was chronicled on YouTube - in essence, the guy was so out of it that he was oblivious to people stacking beer cups on his head. Yes, it's very juvenile and reminiscent of the antics of college frat boys, but after enduring nearly 5 hours of baseball watching, listening to baseball talk, and staunchly defending how appropriate knitting is to the occasion, I was very happy for the distraction! While we weren't sitting directly on the field, we got a pretty good bird's eye view of the whole incident. The first pic is when we first started noticing that people were cheering for something other than the players on the field, and that there was a strange clump of people in one particular spot. The second picture is a close-up of what was happening when we figured out what was going on - clearly, you can see the stack of beer cups, as well as the poor victim's well-shaved head. Is this entertainment-worthy enough to blog about? Probably not. I have learned however, that everything is relative. In this case, the incident was a welcome alternative to watching the game. Sorry baseball lovers!

Starsky Is Done!

I started this sweater during one of the hottest days in July - I got the pattern off of knitty, after seeing so many beautifully crafted projects on ravelry. The pattern gave me a chance to learn some new techniques, including short rows, as well as perfect my seaming, which is not my strength! The pattern was not too hard to follow. The only problem I had was the collar, which I had to re-do twice, because the pattern didn't specify a number of stitches to pick up - the first time I didn't pick up enough, and my sweater turned out looking oddly shrunken. On my second try, I casted on 119 stitches on each side for a total of 238 for the ribbing. I may have been able to get away with doing a bit less, but I think it turned out OK. The only pattern modifications I made were to do the wraps every 4 rows, and to pick up the stitches for the sleeve instead of knitting them separately and sewing them in.

Currently I am experimenting with different types of closures. I added buttonholes but I placed them too low so it's not the most figure flattering when I actually sewed them in. The upside is that I went to M & J Trim for the first time (For NYCers, it's on 6th Ave between 37th and 38th). Let's just say that it was both a blessing and a curse to find out about that store. The area was also more crowded than usual, as it was fashion week in Bryant Park, and there were a lot of photographers and people milling around the tents on 42nd street. Although I looked briefly, there were no celebrity sightings for me, not that I am good at that kind of stuff - I apparently bumped Cynthia Nixon (of Sex and the City) when she was blocking the doorway of my favorite housewares store about a month ago and didn't even notice. My more tactful other half pointed this out after he stopped laughing at me. In my defense, there was only one door, and she was talking to someone on the street for over a minute, which is an hour by NYC standards! I also didn't really bump her - I just ducked under her very skinny arm to get into the store, not shoved her out of the way as my boyfriend likes to gleefully suggest to others. Also, I was ultra focused on looking at a great art-deco pitcher that was displayed at the very back of the room. Just sayin...

Loose Ends

I have so many uncompleted projects, it's not even funny - I just started a new cardigan pattern, nevermind the fact that I have three more sweaters on the back burner, waiting to be finished. The reason why I have so many sweaters waiting is because I mostly knit on the subway to and from work (3 hours a day!), and there are certain things you can and cannot do on a subway. Knitting on a circular needle, you can do. Following a crazy cable pattern is sometimes possible (although you get a bit dizzy from trying to keep your eye on the pattern while the train is swaying and grumpy people are trying to squish you, hehe). Sewing in seams - I am sure you can do that on a train if you really wanted, but probably won't work out that well! Because there are so many small but important things that you can't do on the subway, my sweaters inevitably get neglected, although I have no excuse for ignoring my River Forest Gansey from Hand Knit Holidays (the red sweater at the top right of this post). I started this in October of 2007. It was the first time I ever followed a pattern of any sort and I was nervous - this created a problem for me later, because the back of the sweater is MUCH smaller than the front, the reason being that I was so tense that I was knitting much tighter than I usually knit. In the end, I managed to sew the pieces together, and I hope blocking it will fix the sizing problem. Oh, and I have to finish making the sleeves. Then there's the green Starsky (see left), which has also been sewn together recently. I'm on sleeve #2, but it's the first time I have ever picked up stitches for a sleeve, and I didn't know when/where I should start the decreases so I've had to put it on every couple of rows to make it look like something wearable. I've also discovered that when you pick up stitches for the sleeve, you don't get much room for the top of the shoulder, so it's a bit tighter than I would like - from this experience, I think that picking up stitches, albeit easier, does not make for a good fitting sweater, unless I'm doing something wrong... Then there's my second try at the Platinum pattern (brown sweater at right). I made it a size bigger than my previous attempt - this is an easy knit on the subway, except that I am getting to the point where I have to use two balls of yarn to do the front collar. One of these days I will get it all done - by the time sweater season comes, I hope!

Central Park Hoodie

Although these are the not the best pictures (I did it without the flash to capture the real color, and my bf''s hand is not very steady...) the following is the final product of my Central Park Hoodie. It's slightly too big for my taste, but then again, I was wearing it during a heat wave so I am surely being biased! I have to say that I have been very productive to









date - the 3 hour commute helps tremendously. The pattern was easy to read, and I only made some small modifications. I knitted as much of the body that I could together on one circular needle; that was mainly to avoid sewing the two fronts to the back, which I did together up to the armpit area. I think it worked out, as my sewing will never be as straight or smooth as having no seam there at all! The only part that required sewing were the arms. If I were to do it again, I would definitely pick up the stitches in the armhole and knit the arms from top to bottom. I also contemplated adding some toggles, but I think I am going to keep it simple for once, and not make it too busy! I am hoping this is the first of many projects that aren't so obviously hand-knitted (sounds a bit strange for someone who wants to hand knit every article of clothing they own, but you know what I mean, right?). The actual wearability of this will have to wait until the weather gets chilly; until then, it will be hibernating happily in the cedar chest...