Call Me Crazy
So … am I crazy?
Do you remember my Celtic Dreams sweater? I finished it in June 2006.
I said at the time, “There are just two things that aren’t perfect. One, my gauge loosened as I worked the body, so the lower half of the body is wider than the top–just ever so slightly tent-like. Not as flattering as I’d like (as if I didn’t have enough trouble with my waistline). And, two, the sleeves are somehow just a tiny bit too short. Usually, if anything, sleeves end up too long for me but I actually followed the pattern and made them the length called for, and they’re about half an inch above my wrist bone.”
In reality, the sleeves are well more than a half inch above the wrist. This makes it very handy for checking the time, or washing my hands, but they’re not really supposed to be 3/4-length sleeves. Much as I love 3/4 or bracelet-length sleeves (and I do, they’re my favorites since I’m forever pushing my sleeves out of the way), these sleeves don’t look like they’re meant to be that length. Which, in fact, they’re not.
And then, the size. It’s a boxy sweater, I know, and Arans aren’t really known for the sweater shaping, but … it’s really kind of, well, big. It’s at least a foot bigger around than I am, really more. I can hold the waistline out and look like one of those weight-loss ads, where a newly slim person stands inside their old “fat pants.”
(I took this picture discreetly at work, sitting at my desk, so it’s not the best. I folded over the excess fabric and kind of hoped for the best.)
So, this has me wondering …
I love the yarn, it’s gorgeous. I adore the golden-brown color which is not only wonderfully autumnal, but goes great with my hair (grin). (Not to mention that it matches Chappy’s eyes.) But, as it is, it’s tied up in a sweater, albeit a beautiful sweater, that doesn’t fit well at all and therefore only gets out of the closet one or two times a year.
The yarn deserves better than that, don’t you think?
The idea, therefore, that’s teasing in my head is … What if I frog the entire sweater, reclaim the yarn, and knit a new, better-fitting sweater? I even have another skein of the Black Water Abbey yarn that was barely touched when I made this one, giving plenty of leeway so far as gauge goes.
And then, I HAVE been kind of itching after knitting cables, lately. Lots of them, but I don’t have a yarn at hand that is screaming “Use me!” This would certainly solve that problem.
Of course, I don’t have a pattern in mind, which would help the decision process. I wear cardigans a LOT more than pullovers, so that would be ideal, but … I did mention I want lots of cables. One of the things that drew me to the Celtic Dreams in the first place were all those varied panels of cables.
The first question, then, is
What do you think? Crazy? Or thrifty and not-crazy?
This certainly would be a first for me. I’ve never frogged a completed sweater to reclaim the yarn. I know the concept, but have never actually DONE it. Luckily, as that goes, this sweater is as close to seamless as never mind, so that part at least is pretty easy. It started as two saddles for the shoulder and then the front and back were picked up from there, knit down to the underarm, then joined and the rest of the body knit. The sleeves were picked up on the body and knit down in one piece … so, there are woven-in ends, but no seams in the way (except under the arms).
The second question?
Does anyone know a good, Aran-ish Cardigan pattern that would work?
I haven’t browsed through any pattern books yet because this re-use-the-yarn idea only just occurred to me while sitting at my desk this morning. But, still … suggestions never hurt, huh?
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Tannenbaum.
House Calls
If you’re not entirely happy with it, I say go for it, rip it out and make something that will make you happy. I have a sweater I made out of some Rowan Felted Tweed that didn’t fit quite right after I finished it — the sleeves are just a tad too short and there’s too much fabric in the underarm area. I just don’t wear it, which is a little sad cause it was my Knitting Olympics sweater from 4 years ago. Meanwhile, recently, I keep finding patterns that I would love to knit that call for the same weight yarn and I think how nice the such and such a sweater would look in the purple Felted Tweed, but that it’s in a sweater. It may be time to just accept that it’s time for the original sweater to go.
Zardra´s last blog ..Happy Autumnal Equinox!
I say rip away. And spend some quality time on Ravelry to find another pattern!
I agree. The yarn is absolutely gorgeous and deserves to be a different sweater, one you’ll wear and be happy with.
Signed: impartial observer
Mom´s last blog ..Ice Water …
Go for it…rip it out.
You are not crazy! Just not lazy! You should rip it out and I can live vicariously through you. I made a Tweedy Aran Cardi out of my Black Water Abbey yarn that I love.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tweedy-aran-cardigan
monica´s last blog ..I forgot about these sweaters
What about using the extra yarn to knit the sleeve cuff again and longer? Since you did them top down, it’d be easy… And you could do some creative sewing along the seams?? Cut and resew the side seams? But if you cut, it wouldn’t be easy to rip anymore. Good luck, it IS beautiful yarn, and yes you should be happy with the sweater.
lisa´s last blog ..first started and finished project of 2010
Why not check Janet Szabo’s patterns for cables?
if its not making you happy you wont enjoy wearing it so…. rip! I havent ripped a whole sweater but do have a small pile of items i plan to rip soon, one being a poncho (first big project) i knit. No bust sizes in pattern, the sucker could be a tree skirt!
turtle´s last blog ..quickie 2010 contest links!
I have a sweater I want/need to reclaim as well. It’s also a seamless yoked sweater, so it should be relatively easy to do, but I’m still afraid to do it! At this point, though, I suppose there’s nothing to be afraid of – even if I mangle it and destroy the yarn in the process, it’s not like I’m out anything. I’m already not using either the yarn of the sweater…
Sarah´s last blog ..I love the minishawl
Not crazy and thrifty! Go for it!
I say rip it. Life is to short to wear knits you’re not happy with.
Kristyn´s last blog ..Thankful Thursday #1 of 2010
Why are you even asking? Reach for the niddy noddy and start skeining the sweater back to yarn. You had the fun of knitting it once, you learned from it and you can get to do it all again.
Rip it! That yarn is too gorgeous to waste. Have you looked at the Black Water Abbey site for patterns? The Marilyn cardigan, by Beth Brown-Reinsel, is gorgeous.
Lorette´s last blog ..Another WIP
[...] just have to figure out how many stitches to cast on for the sides. As you know, my Celtic Dreams was too large–which is why I ended up ripping it out not that long ago. What I’m trying to remember [...]