Michelle, ma belle... tres bien ensemble
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Michelle ma belle, sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,

Tres bien ensemble

Bling Bling.

11/10/2014

18 Comments

 
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I told you those leaves were on the ground. I spent the better part of a Saturday raking them into a massive pile, an effort that yields no visible signs of productivity, as there are still leaves strewn about the lawn upon completion. No amount of careful raking seems to help. This is an especially irritating task for a person with compulsive tendencies. Oh, well. If you can't beat them, join them.   
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There is something about a leaf pile that begs to be played in- and rain puddles. They bring out the kid in me. Besides, yard work is overrated. 
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Ah, but you're here for the sweater. So, let's get on with it. Today, in projects from the pile of reckless FOs, is the Dagmar sweater by Handy Kitty. This, too, is knit in a cotton variety yarn. However, unlike my Neon sweater, the cotton lends very nicely to the drape and built-in positive ease incorporated into this design. The yarn I used is BLING BLING  by Berroco, a currently discontinued variety purchased at the mother load of estate sales. 
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This yarn is a cotton/acrylic/metallic blend. It's impossible to see in the photos, but it actually has bits of gold foil leafing throughout the strand. This yarn is something I would never have purchased for full price in a yarn store, but I was drawn to it. There's a lot of room for regret-free experimentation when the yarn is $1 a ball. After knitting with it, I have a feeling one of the reasons it was discontinued is that it sheds little bits of gold dust as it's knit.  I felt like a knitter version of Rumpelstiltskin as I worked.    
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However, the resulting sparkle effect is subtle and really perfect for a sweater pattern like this one where there's texture without an overwhelming amount of detail. 
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The sweater is knit in the round up until the divide. There is a high-low hemline created through the use of short rows and a moving cable detail that creates a fun visual effect along the front of the body. The sleeves are a seamed raglan. This was the only tricky bit. I recommend that a knitter have a good handle on seaming before tackling this, because there is only a single buffer stitch between the edge and the cable pattern. If you miss, you'll be seaming into the cables. And, that would get messy looking fairly quickly. I suppose you could also incorporate a few 'bonus' stitches at the raglan edge to allow a little room for error. 

There is a large amount of positive ease built into the sweater. I knit the size medium, and it's roomy. It did grow a bit while I was wearing it, not as much as the 100% cotton I used in my Neon, but noticeably so.  Between wearings I lightly wetted the bottom rib and tossed it in the dryer. It sprang back into shape beautifully without affecting the rest of the sweater.  This is the type of sweater that probably couldn't be too big. I will definitely be able to carry this one into fall. It has MEGA layering potential and a huge cozy factor. 
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This style is a bit outside my normal tailored and fitted silhouette. I've been doing that a lot lately, trying new shapes, and I'm excited to report that I'm pleasantly surprised by the things I've discovered I like. I love having a classic set of staples in my closet, but it's nice to throw-in a few curve balls now and again. I adamantly refuse to ever be trendy, but I worry that I'm at that age where it all starts to fall apart- like the woman who currently rocks the same haircut she had in the 80's, because that's when she hit the pinnacle of her style evolution. Do you mix it up and try new things?  
18 Comments
Alicia link
11/10/2014 04:27:51 am

Mixing it up is good! I've been mixing it up this year like crazy. In particular, I've started wearing dresses and skirts in a not-just-for-special-occasions way. It's fun! Your sweater reminds me of the Hawser pattern, that I'm dying to make one day. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hawser-2

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:30:24 am

I hope you don't mind that I immediately added that pattern to my Ravelry favorites! It's gorgeous, especially in the cranberry color they used to knit the sample. It's not easy to break long-standing clothing habits. I've been seeing a lot of great fall skirt outfit ideas popping up on Pinterest. :-D

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Amanda link
11/10/2014 12:49:05 pm

Maybe it's shedding pixie dust? Then you could float around the yard and get all that work done in no time. $1 a ball, that's impressive. You seem to have good luck at estate sales! I sometimes think about mixing it up, but it takes me so long to make something that I'm hesitant to move away from things I know I'll like.

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:33:01 am

That would be incredible! The leaves are currently covered in snow, and short of some fairy intervention, I don't think they're moving until spring. :-D

I hear you on the amount of time it takes to knit a sweater. It's a little riskier to knit something you might not like, but at least we can unravel failed sweater projects and start over again!

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joelle link
11/10/2014 03:02:41 pm

the cables are beautiful! i have also been branching out style-wise lately and it's been really fun!

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:37:36 am

I'm a sucker for cables, always! I think this pattern uses them in a really fun way. I hope your experiments with new styles continue to be fun! The Nani Iro shirtdress you made looks AMAZING!

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Sezza link
11/10/2014 04:32:34 pm

it is lovely! I love mixing it up, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try it when I have to knit the whole thing :)

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:38:48 am

:-D It does pose a little hurdle. It's as close as I get to being an adrenaline junkie. :-D

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Gail link
11/10/2014 08:09:32 pm

Beautiful! I really like these oversized sweaters on you!

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:39:25 am

Thanks, Gail! I'm really loving them too.

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katie metzroth link
11/11/2014 04:31:03 am

love the sweater. especially the cables!

did you lose an earring in the leaves?

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:40:21 am

NICE EYE! I actually took that earring out because it was getting heavy, and I forgot to put it back in before photos! LOL.

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Renee Anne link
11/11/2014 06:40:22 am

Lovely lovely all around :) I need a good, cozy sweater pattern that doesn't make me look like a beached whale...

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:41:52 am

I'm sure you will look gorgeous in an over sized sweater! If you decide to take the plunge, this pattern is a fun knit.

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Lisette link
11/12/2014 12:01:11 am

Wow you are such a talented knitter! I really like the silhouettes you've been trying out, I think they look great on you. I like the gratuitous dog butt photo bomb haha.

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:43:09 am

HAHA. They LOVE it when we're outside in the yard, but they quickly start to wonder why we're not running or throwing a toy, because, you know, the world revolves around them. :-D

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Sally link
11/14/2014 11:10:39 pm

You look so adorable in these photos!!! I love this sweater SO MUCH - especially the big wide cables :) Beautiful!

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Michelle link
11/17/2014 04:43:40 am

Thanks, Sally!

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