Finished!!!

[SpinsterJulieB]

I love finishing projects, especially when they take a long time. Back in February, I decided to make the cover Swirl Sweater from the book, Knit, Swirl!, by Sandra McIver out of handspun yarn. I already had about 3 spun skeins of handpainted wool and wool-blend fiber, and proceeded to spin up about 15 more skeins from several of my favorite dyers.
Around June 15, I cast on 569 stitches and the sweater was started. Yesterday, July 15, the last stitches were bound off, and today the sweater was blocked. I am hoping that tomorrow, it will be dry in the summer heat, and I will be able to sew the seam that goes from the left cuff, up the front lapel, around the back of the neck and down to the other cuff. Then it will be put away until the weather cools off in the Fall.
I used 19 skeins of yarn in this sweater, and there is a lOT of yarn left over, so now I’m thinking about another sweater. I think I have rocks in my head...

[Kathy7661]

Wow! What an accomplishment! Looks gorgeous!

[dekpass]

Wow! Impressive and beautiful! Well done!

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thanks both of you! I’m eager to get it done and to wear it.

[1mowmow]

Your sweater is fabulous! I can hardly wait to see you modeling it (wink wink)! I am so impatient that I’ve been known to use my hairdryer to speed up the drying. After you posted the start of your sweater, I checked the book out of the library. Now I want to make one with my handspun, too!!

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thanks! I don’t have to use a hairdryer, because it is upstairs, where there is very little air conditioning. It is really hot up there right now, so hopefully it’ll be dry in the morning. I hope you do make one from handspun. The yarn is magical.

[AmazedbyGrace]

Wow! Amazing job! Please do share a photo of you wearing it!

[stasher]

That was fast! I can't wait to see it on you!!!

[SpinsterJulieB]

It went much faster than I expected. I set quotas for myself, and it was very interesting to choose the yarn colors. Just watching them form a beautiful fabric kept me going, and the construction was fun to knit.

[Floppy2]

You do not have rocks in your head. You have yarn in your head just as I do. Why do we take on such projects? Why? Cause we need to get the yarn out of our heads and into this world so that it can become something. We are makers by creation and we NEED to get the yarn out into this world so that it can become something! This is a sweater I am knitting to match a fabric that was made for me by a weaver friend of mine. He asked me to use my 32-inch rigid heddle loom as his was a 16 inch. I lent it to him over that winter on the stipulation that he create a fabric for me. I was renovating a floor loom at the time and was not using the 32-inch rigid heddle. The fabric on the chair seat is the fabric he made for me. It will become a skirt. We simply have to get the yarn our of or heads and into the world. It is what we are. It is what we do.

[SpinsterJulieB]

You will have such a nice set! I love seeing these.

[Carlota]

Your sweater has me eyeing my stash of handspun in a new way - I love the bands of color - that is very inspiring and thanks for sharing!

[Floppy2]

Me too. So many projects. So little time!

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thanks, both of you. Maybe we should do a thread of patterns for using lots of yarns. They are my favorites.

[SpinsterJulieB]

Here it is!on my headless body. And on the hottest day of the year!

[stasher]

Very nice!!!! Good fit and it looks warm!!!!
If it is anything like mine pink one, you will sweat!
Enjoy wearing it!!
What are you going to make next?

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thank you! One of the nice things about these type of cardigans is that they fit almost all bodies, except for very petite people. The only “drawback” is that the sleeves are very long. For me, that’s not an issue; I just cuff them. Idk what’s next. Maybe some long-overdue sewing.

[Carlota]

Very pretty - now we need to order you some winter weather!

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thank you! I would love some winter-yesterday was the hottest day of the year.

[Floppy2]

I love it on you. It is AWESOME! But the direction of the stripes on my would look simply awful. I stopped wearing horizontal stripes in high school. I saw myself in a picture once and I have never, again worn strips going across my body! If I did one it would have to be all one color and that would bore me to tears! It would never be finished. I think I will pass on this one. I like it. But not for myself.

[SpinsterJulieB]

I definitely understand about stripes and bodies. I almost never wear horizontal stripes either. There is a variation of this sweater that is much more diagonal, which looks great on everybody. I’m also with you about knitting all of that in one color. I usually hate this type of knitting, and the colors got my through. Now I’m thinking about doing one in a gradient.

[snickerdoodle]

Wow! What a glorious finish! I was wondering how your project was coming along when I saw this pop up. Love the pictures of you wearing it and I give you credit for modeling for us on the hottest day! The colors just sing together and the construction is very interesting, it is unlike anything I have seen before. A job very well done!

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thank you!

[1mowmow]

Your sweater is awesome! Thank you for modeling it!

[SpinsterJulieB]

Thank you! Winter is very slow in coming...