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

Tres bien ensemble

Two-fer

4/1/2015

8 Comments

 
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Sometimes I start a project with the pattern I plan to make. Other times, I choose the materials first. It usually works out fine, especially with yarn. Ravelry has really wonderful filters, and I use them to my fullest advantage. 
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In this particular instance, I knew I wanted to knit Mike a cardigan. I had some really beautiful army green Debbie Bliss wool/cotton stashed, and I thought it would be perfect for the project. Since I already had yarn chosen, I began filtering my way through patterns on Ravelry looking for a suitable match to pair it with. I narrowed the field: Male, Sweater, Cardigan, Sport, and I  honed-in on the Lewis sweater by DROPS. It seemed perfect. Oversized. Textured. Shawl Collared.... By now, (especially if you didn't link to the Lewis pattern), you realize that this isn't the sweater I knit.  Well, except I did. Mostly. 
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I knit the entire body and half way through the second sleeve of the Lewis before I admitted that I did not have enough yarn to make it to the end. The additional length I factored into the body and sleeves to cater to Mike's height ate-up my yardage, and I wasn't going to make it. I could/should have figured it out sooner. But, yarn chicken is a strange game of denial. 
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When I finally conceded defeat, I decided the best course of action was to immediately start knitting a contingency sweater. I might have lost the battle, but I intended to win the war. I went back to the stash and came up with two contrast colors. My solution, stripes. I also eliminated the textured stitch pattern.... and the shawl collar.... made it raglan.... and V-neck... and, well, it's altogether a different sweater. 
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There's no pattern for this sweater. It was all very "by the seat of my pants". I used what I know about sweater knitting to improvise along the way; it worked out. Except, I hadn't used all the yarn I knit into the first attempt by the time I finished. There were still a dozen rows of rib remaining in addition to a partial skein. I was determined to disallow reentry to the stash. Those little balls add up over time and begin to take-up as much space as the stash itself. Truth be told, most of my leftovers don't make it out of the stash or into a new project. 
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I borrowed a play from Steph's book and decided to knit the stragglers immediately. Lucky Michael ended up with a new sweater and a new hat in the same motion. It's probably a fair deal considering the number of projects I've knit and sewn for myself since the last time I made him something. He's been wearing them both constantly; the ultimate demonstration of gratitude and surest way to secure future goods.
8 Comments
steph link
4/1/2015 04:13:54 am

absolutely brilliant!!! I love the match-but-not-match....and Mike is obviously pretty darn tickled with them both!!! 'Good job, I'm proud of you!", as my 3 year old grandson used to tell me!!

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Suzanne Warren link
4/1/2015 09:03:28 am

The cardigan looks fabulous with the stripes. I think you did an excellent job with your modifications. The hat looks great too. Great for stashbusting as I hate having leftovers too unless I decide to knit a hat from them.

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Nat @ Made in Home link
4/1/2015 07:25:21 pm

Lucky Mike! A sweater and a hat! Love your story about the sweater.. Fair play to you, it looks awesome. And that hat, had to favourite the pattern (which is free, whoohoo!) as I intend to use all the these scraps of yarn left as well.

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katie metzroth link
4/2/2015 04:22:25 am

well, if that isn't the best stash busting sweater I've ever seen, I don't know what is! well done!

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Jo link
4/2/2015 06:53:10 am

This looks amazing! I guess I'm also amazed at your unselfishness ;) I don't think I would make something like this for my husband (I don't think he would probably appreciate it). I live the colours you used in the hat too! What an awesomejob

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Teresa link
4/2/2015 06:55:45 am

Love how you turned this into an entirely different pattern and yet it still looks great! Looks incredibly neat too, given that you freestyled :-)

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zilredloh link
4/2/2015 07:22:39 am

The set looks great Michelle. That cardigan fits Mike great and you did a fab job knitting it up. It looks so cleanly knit, ya know?!

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Leah (Good Enough) link
4/3/2015 09:08:42 am

Hat and sweater look great! I love the stripes.

Reply



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