Knitting Dragonflies

I am in love with top down and bottom up in the round construction for sweaters. Consequently I’m always on the look out for books that use this technique. Wendy’s Custom Knits came out around 2008. I purchased this book off of Amazon without being able to look through it. (I will buy in the round sweater books sight unseen, *grin*). I very much liked the style of the sweater shown on the front cover. I expected this book to be a bit more user friendly for beginning knitters. (like Elizabeth Zimmerman books, she takes you by the hand and leads you through the process if needed, otherwise knit on), I do like her advice of finding styles that work for you, look at the bought sweaters that you own, and flatter you. My favorite is her “reality checklist” for picking a pattern out. I am especially guilty of seeing a photo of a women in a field of flowers, who looks nothing like me, wearing a lovely sweater and have to buy this pattern and yarn. If you follow her checklist, it will elimina...

One of the main reasons I bought the book Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard , is due to this pattern. The model is on the beach looking free and easy, the sweater is oversized and comfortable looking yet complimentary to her figure. And we must always bear in mind that sweaters in books are worn by models, the average size now being a 2-4 US but they actually would prefer a 0. Well as we know, everything looks cute smaller! Never the less, I decided I had to have this sweater. I frogged a ill conceived hoodie from 2 years ago. Of course I had lost all of the yarn info, so I had a mystery amount of it. Slightly bulky with 6 balls I cast on without fear. Since it was top down I hoped I could alter it, if I needed to. Thank goodness for Ravelry, I read all of the helpful comments of those that had gone before me with this pattern and took note. The sweater took off at a great pace. Before I knew it I was on the sleeves! I decided to try to get it done before the week was over! ...