(click for bigger)
I was sooo excited yesterday morning when I checked the temperature and it was 60 degrees. I mean, aside from the fact that 60 degrees is about my minimum temperature for comfort, it meant that I could finally wear (and blog about) this sweater. It's been done, blocked, and ready to go for the better part of a month now, but I wanted to wait until there was proper sunlight and warmth to present it. Which didn't really happen until yesterday.
I was in a good mood anyway because I was officially done with classes for the semester. No more classes to attend! No more papers to write! No more heinous group projects with crazy over-acheivers who don't play well with others! The day was made even better when I got an email from a professor I'm working with saying she swung it so that I could get SPSS on my laptop since I was going out of town and still had to do analysis for her! Things were looking up, so I got dressed in the outfit I'd always imagined wearing with this sweater, made Jon take a few pictures of me, and then headed to lunch with some friends.
The only downside to the day was that the SPSS install didn't go so well. Apparently, SPSS doesn't work on intel-based mac, like mine, so much incomprehensible computer-speak ensued between the three technicians. When they reached a conclusion, one of them turned to me and said that they could install SPSS if I allowed them to make it a dual-boot machine that loads both windows and OS X. At which point I balked a bit (because I got burned bad by my previous computer, a PC), and said I'd think about it and return Monday. I consulted my professor, and she said that there's a decent chance I can get a laptop on loan from the business school that already has SPSS on it. It's not the same as having SPSS all to yourself whenever you want, but it seems safer to me than turning my computer into some half-windows/half-mac Jekyll and Hyde freak.
But back to the sweater! Here it is without me in it:
(again, click for bigger....you know you want to!)
I was in a good mood anyway because I was officially done with classes for the semester. No more classes to attend! No more papers to write! No more heinous group projects with crazy over-acheivers who don't play well with others! The day was made even better when I got an email from a professor I'm working with saying she swung it so that I could get SPSS on my laptop since I was going out of town and still had to do analysis for her! Things were looking up, so I got dressed in the outfit I'd always imagined wearing with this sweater, made Jon take a few pictures of me, and then headed to lunch with some friends.
The only downside to the day was that the SPSS install didn't go so well. Apparently, SPSS doesn't work on intel-based mac, like mine, so much incomprehensible computer-speak ensued between the three technicians. When they reached a conclusion, one of them turned to me and said that they could install SPSS if I allowed them to make it a dual-boot machine that loads both windows and OS X. At which point I balked a bit (because I got burned bad by my previous computer, a PC), and said I'd think about it and return Monday. I consulted my professor, and she said that there's a decent chance I can get a laptop on loan from the business school that already has SPSS on it. It's not the same as having SPSS all to yourself whenever you want, but it seems safer to me than turning my computer into some half-windows/half-mac Jekyll and Hyde freak.
But back to the sweater! Here it is without me in it:
(again, click for bigger....you know you want to!)
Yarn - about 8 1/2 skeins of Knitpicks Swish (100% superwash wool, 110 yards) in bordeaux. Now, this is certainly not the most luxurious yarn I've ever used, but it's definitely nice enough...especially for $3.29 a skein! When I was first thinking about this sweater, I decided to either make it out of good quality, but not particularly flashy yarn with awesome buttons, or really awesome yarn and plain buttons. I went with basic yarn and fancy buttons, which I think brought the total cost down to about $50.
Needles - 29" size 7 Inox greys for the body and a set of 4 size 7 bamboo dpns for the sleeves
Pattern - This is the first sweater I've made from a pattern, and I used Knit and Tonic's Flair. I did make a swatch for this one, and my gauge was a bit tighter than the recommended gauge in the pattern, so I knit the 1X (44") size instead of the L (40"). I knit the pattern as written except for these modifications:
Needles - 29" size 7 Inox greys for the body and a set of 4 size 7 bamboo dpns for the sleeves
Pattern - This is the first sweater I've made from a pattern, and I used Knit and Tonic's Flair. I did make a swatch for this one, and my gauge was a bit tighter than the recommended gauge in the pattern, so I knit the 1X (44") size instead of the L (40"). I knit the pattern as written except for these modifications:
- I added 6 stitch-wide (p1, k4, p1) cable panels that I crossed every six rows to both of the front sides and along the raglan seams.
- I added two extra buttonholes to the body of the sweater and didn't make one on the neckband (as I ran out of buttons).
- I added one set of body increases to give it more swing.
- I made the body about 2" longer that the pattern directed.
- I used snap tape instead of buttons for the inside closure. Man, snap tape is awesome!
2 comments:
Melissa, your sweater is simply awesome! Love the color & you're so right about the buttons, too. Glad the semester is over for you! The pressure should ease up a bit. Can't wait until you come down. I'll call you tomorrow morning. Lots of Love!
Momma
Your sweater looks fantastic. :) As far as the Jekyll/Hyde Mac, I'm going to the Mac store today to ask them about that. I'm getting a Mac for my birthday in a couple of weeks, and I originally decided I wanted to install Windows on a USB external so I could still play all the PC games I have (believe me, it's a lot), but they think it'd be better if I dual-booted my actual Mac (they also told me it'd be better for SPSS, too). So I'm going over to ask them what the difference is, and if dual-booting will make my Mac all virusy.
Oh, and congrats on being done for the semester! :D Mine ends on May 8, but I do an about-face on the 17th for an 8-credit, six-week summer session to finish my MA.
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