Knitting Dragonflies

I’m almost done with my 5 year sweater! Yes, that is the longest I’ve taken to finish a sweater, and I’m super excited. I totally went rouge and switched the pattern up. More soon when the sweater is totally done! May your knitting needles fly as fast as dragonflies……

How many times have you bought all of the supplies for a project to knit, and then changed your mind about the yarn, or pattern? This seems to happen to me all too often. The above was a purchase several years ago. Somewhere along the line I decided I didn’t want to use the pattern I bought. I think it was due to the fact that I detest knitting a sweater in separate pieces and putting it together. I love to knit in the round. I discovered this after finding my first Elizabeth Zimmerman book, Knitting without Tears ! Her techniques and insistence on swatching for your gauge, turned me into a super sweater knitter. Her patterns were the first I could actually wear! Usually I would have to gift my knitted sweater to someone, anyone that was the size the sweater was. And while this had a certain excitement, and drama, I actually wanted a sweater for myself. Elizabeth's in depth explanation of gauge and how to calculate your size, finally made me realize how important gauge was, and...

I saw this pattern in Knitty Spring 2009 and fell in love with it! The simplicity and style. { rav link }. I had some beige 100% wool yarn and decided to use that instead of the cotton it calls for. And then something happened….. see this post , I wanted color, bold beautiful living color! OK, I had the pattern and the yarn, now ready to cast on! I knitted my gauge swatch , like a good girl should. Ready to go now. Studying the pattern  I kept thinking, it looks a little boxy, I’ll add a little shape to it, maybe some decreasing around the waist…..and I do so wish it was knitted  “ in the round ” sweater. My first sweater attempts were comical, several looked like they were made for Quasimodo , my next phase consisted of neck problems, I couldn’t get my head into the neck or the neck was x rated. I was apparently knitting for an entire sideshow. Then I discovered Elizabeth Zimmerman !  Amazingly, I could knit sweaters to fit, and I loved it! Like a good myst...

Upon a suggestion from a fellow Plurker, I am converting a pattern that I am knitting, to a top down pattern. I am well versed in knitting in the round, bottom up sweaters . I found and fell in love with Elizabeth Zimmerman early in my knitting life. But have found limited info on top down sweaters. Bottom up in the round sweaters made me convert any pattern I could into this type of construction. When you are done, there are none to few pieces to put together, your good to block and wear. Top down, in the round sweaters have had the same effect on me, plus, as everyone points out, you can try them on as you go. I feel like I am “in the flow”when knitting this way. I didn’t think trying them on would be a great plus, but it is. Now I am in search of more top down construction books and info. The best resources that I have found are: Barbara Walker’s Sweaters from the Top down, great book, good explanations, great section on increases, more types than I knew there was, and exam...