Copycat
I have no shame when it comes to boosting other people’s ideas, especially when those people are knitters as clever as, say, Jared. Six weeks ago he posted this fabulous rendition of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Shirt-Yoke Cardigan. I wanted one of my own, and I wanted it immediately. Happily, bulky wool and size 10.5 needles were invented for the purpose of instant gratification. I whipped out my Knitter’s Workshop, and in a weekend of knitting, I had most of this:
I added some darts up the back for a more womanly shape, but I always meant to copy Jared’s idea for the side ribbing. (In fact, in my lust to knit an entire sweater body from one skein of yarn in a mere six hours, I forgot all about the ribbing. But a quick session with a crochet hook revived the dream – I simply dropped the appropriate stitches and hooked them back up purlwise.)
But whoa! What happened there on the front? Friends, I ran out of yarn. I knew it was likely. I was planning a direct rip-off of Jared’s nice ribbed button band, but the third skein petered out just as I was finishing the collar. Being too impatient to order a fourth skein from the yarn shop on my little island and wait for more to come in and then for my mother to mail it to me, risking a dye-lot change in the bargain, I went stash diving. I organize my yarn by weight, and there isn’t all that much in the bulky bin. But there were two skeins of this scrumptious Rowan Yorkshire Tweed, which I bought years ago to knit Kristin Spurkland’s Flower Hat from the Winter 2004 Interweave Knits – the very first knitting magazine I ever purchased. I still think the hat is awesome, but I hadn’t gotten around to it four years later so I figured the yarn was fair game.
I first envisioned a Barbara Walker Banana Tree pattern up the front, as seen in Starsky, but the tweed didn’t show up the traveling stitches all that well. So I picked out this pretty Double Wave cable instead. It leaves handier spaces for button holes anyway. And then I think all the Jane Austen I’ve been watching on Sunday nights went to my head. Somehow it came to me that the big blue front panel would look a little less random if there were some sort of blue element elsewhere… like embroidery. Now, I can’t embroider my way out of a paper bag. I’m sure any self-respecting six-year-old in Miss Austen’s day could have whupped my arse in an embroidery show-down. But I’m all about leaping into the deep end with things I’ve never tried.
I give you the Blue Thistle Jacket. I’ve hardly taken it off since it (mostly) dried on Wednesday.
And psst… look who’s grown!
Posted: February 9th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
wow!! what a great result from an instant gratification knit! love the embroidery. It just looks so fabulous darling :O)
Posted: February 9th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
AAAAH! this is amazing. now I want to copy you : P
and the thistle looks pretty awesome too.
Posted: February 9th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
That is a super jacket – the contrasting front piece is such an interesting detail. The thistle is great too.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Oh my Gawd, that is such a super-cool knit! I want!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 4:39 am
Beautiful! I think it was very fortuitous that you ran out of yarn since the grey cable band make it special.
Cute doggie too.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 5:11 am
That’s a very brave and beautiful modification. Very successful!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 5:28 am
Necessity, the mother of creation – and in this case, a very inspired and beautiful knit! I love your embroidery, by the way; it’s the perfect little touch.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 5:34 am
What a great way to make do! No self-respecting young lady in Miss Austen’s time could have some so more brilliantly! Was that cable in the Barbara Walker book too? How about the inspiration for the thistle? Oh, I just love it! [runs off to Ravelry to mark as fav]
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Eek, the mother of INVENTION, I meant to say… so much for commenting before attaining the appropriate level of caffeination…
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 5:45 am
EZ would be PROUD of all the unventions you
came up with in the creation of this
truly FABULOUS sweater…
I feel certain she is dancing with JOY
to see her legacy continued so wonderfully.
Also,
dog=adorable
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Amazing sweater. Congratulations!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 6:49 am
oh sarah!! i love love LOVE the sweater! what a great combination of yarn and EZ un-pattern
it looks like the perfect portland walk-about jacket. just lovely.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:03 am
I absolutely love the contrast color band! I think it makes the sweater
And the double cables are fab.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:18 am
You never cease to amaze me – the jacket is wonderful – and you knit it in a weekend?!?!? And I think the embroidery looks great.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Wow! Un-vention extraordinaire! What a series of happy accidents that led you to this fabulous sweater.
btw, I wonder how many knit-bloggers besides you and I have used the phrase “my little island” . . . If mine had a LYS on it, I’d never leave (we do have a pub — maybe a combination?)
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Eeek! I love it! I guess running out of yarn was a blessing in disguise.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:40 am
What a great sweater!! I love how you improvised this, with the added-in ribbing, the button band, and the embroidery. Talk about taking an ordinary sweater and making it extraordinary. It’s gorgeous on you. And little Lark is looking quite grown up – he’s adorable!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Absolutely fabulous! I love the contrast cable detail, and the fit looks perfect. What a marvelous sweater.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Gorgeous! Wow, that sweater came out so well, I adore the contrasting cable and the side ribbing and the back darts (gotta remember those)!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 8:23 am
It’s wonderful! Way to improvise. The contrasting panel an embroidery really make it.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 8:34 am
When you improvise you certainly do it in style. That jacket looks fantastic on you! I love the embroidery.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I love that color combination! The jacket really looks wonderful on you!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 10:05 am
That looks awesome – I love the contrast color on the front. Talk about a serendipitous design feature!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Oh wow! The unplanned addition of another yarn turned out lovely. I really like how the cables sync up with the button holes perfectly, too. Well done.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Wow! That is GORGEOUS, great job!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Love! That is a gorgeous sweater, and the thistle makes me so happy. Double wave is one of my favorite cables, too. You win at improvising!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Like everyone else, I just adore it! Way to go!!! Necessity is not only the mother of invention, but of gorgeous sweaters too!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’ve been reading for awhile, but this sweater is bringing me out into the open. I LOVE the front cable panel and the way you trimmed the top of the collar with the same yarn. GENIUS, I tell ya! Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us as your work is very inspirational.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Wonderful! My rip-off of the same cardigan is nearing the final stages (figuring how the beans to fit colourwork into the yoke without going nuts!)
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Wow, I can’t believe that the embroidery was an afterthought–it looks great.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Adding my own thumbs-up to everyone else’s. The grey panel and that little rim of grey at the top of the collar transform this from a classic sweater to the best sort of wearable art. I bow to your improvised thistle on the sleeve.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Dude I am so glad you ran out of yarn. The Double Wave panel is perfect. The whole thing is just fabulous. I’ve been watching Masterpiece every Sunday too. Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Scully is doing the intros.
You look like Audrey Hepburn in that last photo.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
The sweaters is stunning, and I absolutely love your embroidered thistle- I’ve always been a sucker for embroidery! Amazing photos, too. Your pup is so adorable!!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Wow. I can’t tell you how impressed I am about your late ribbing addition… I’m sure I would’ve ripped the whole thing out, along with quite a few hairs, and started all over. What a clever idea. It’s hard to believe you knit this up in a weekend.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
It looks awesome! That contrasting cable up the front looks like you meant it to be there all along, and the embroidery looks great, too. I love it.
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Wow – what a gorgeous sweater! I’m envious – I’d love to ‘boost’ this pattern. Well done!
Posted: February 10th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
The embroidery is my favorite part of the whole, wonderful jacket. You were meant to run out of yarn!
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 5:25 am
what a beautiful coat! such creative solutions to the little problems it threw at you!!!
she has gotten big!!!! love her ears!
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 6:25 am
God, that’s gorgeous!
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 9:45 am
that’s very cool. unusual. me likey
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 10:28 am
The pictures of you (and your sweater) are stunning! I love it just the way it is – I never would have known that you ran out of yarn.
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 10:28 am
OMGosh! You knit the most wonderful sweaters! So pretty on you!
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I love that last photo….someone is saying ‘she thinks she looks cute in her new sweater but all I have to do is raise an ear, and bingo I’m the cutest’…
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 11:33 am
That is an awesome sweater! I am drooling on the keyboard. I will probably have to make one, since it goes so well with your spotty dog, and our spotty dogs like it when we coordinate.
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Necessity is the mother of invention…I love the cabled placket in front. And I love the embroidery on the sleeve. And the puppy is so big now! Sorry, a bit incoherent today…
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
What an adorable sweater! The cable in the front looks terrific. I was glad to learn that I am not the only knitter whose ambition outpaces her yardage.
And I think you’d make Jane Austen’s sewing circle ; )
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Wow! What a beautiful sweater! I would have believed you if you said that it was all planned out.
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Whoa indeed! What a lovely surprise to scroll down and see the beautiful cable on the front! Did you knit it separately and sew it on to the front? I’m interested to know about the actual construction.
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I mean this in the nicest way possible: you make me want to weep.
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
this is just so, so beautiful. the contrast band, the embroidery, it’s all so romantic. i’m bowing down to you!
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
You made this sweater in a weekend? Wow! It is really spectacular–don’t you just love EZ…am up to second sleeve and getting sidetracked withan EZ “Pi” shawl..
Posted: February 11th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
ACK. Cute attack. You + sweater + dog = killing me.
Posted: February 12th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Your embroidery looks great to me! I have a hard time embroidering on knits; I usually have to put some interfacing on the back. The sweater looks great and so does Lark!
Is that you in the knit/purl ad in the Spring ’08 Interweave?
Posted: February 12th, 2008 at 8:05 am
It’s fabulous! Sometimes running out of yarn makes you think out of the box and come up with something even better. I love the embroidery and button band details!
Posted: February 12th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Well I must say, improvisation really served you well- this is a beautiful sweater! The contrast of colors is really lovely, and the embroidery is icing on the cake! Congrats!
Posted: February 12th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
sarah, i love coming to this blog and seeing your fabulous knits. you have such an intuitive way with knitting and look so lovely in your pieces. i am glad you live in a climate that supports these sweaters because i am eager to see more…and the ‘afterthought’ embroidery shines on the sweater. i love it all!
Posted: February 13th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Gorgeous!! A yarn shortage and forgotten ribbing were no challenge for your resourcefulness. The collar tip is a fantasic accent.
Posted: February 13th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Very quick and very lovely. I need an instant gratification knit about now – everything I’m working on takes a LONG time – and it’s all SECRET, blah.
Posted: February 15th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Gorgeous! I think your embroidery is a lot nicer than you give yourself credit for. I’m OK with it, but I mostly do embroidery or cross-stitch on linen or Aida which are much more regular fabrics than a knitted fabric. Well done!
Posted: February 15th, 2008 at 9:15 am
It’s adorable!
Posted: February 15th, 2008 at 10:59 am
How incredibly beautiful!!!!
Posted: February 20th, 2008 at 10:54 am
LOVE the sweater! I want one now! I love what you did with the front. Cute jeans too! : )
Posted: February 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I’m a bit behind the times, but WOW this is one beautiful, creative, and really inspiring sweater!
Posted: March 10th, 2008 at 7:09 am
[...] This weekend I was inspired through various means to combine to fiber arts that I love, knitting and embroidery. I hadn’t thought of embroidering knitting until I saw this post at Blue Garter several weeks ago. The images must have stayed with me. After working on a prototype for KABs this weekend (see the blue knitted object in the last post), I had a vision of a narrow cuff, complete with button, and in a flash I saw a vine weaving its way around it. [...]
Posted: June 7th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
This is truly inspiring. I love the sweater but I’m more impressed but the “Oh, I just whipped this up for myself over the course of a weekend. Yes, I ran out of yarn but I improvised out of the stash and still wore it to work on Monday.”
Amazing. THAT’S the kind of knitter I want to be when I grow up!
Posted: February 1st, 2009 at 9:53 pm
[...] stitches at the neckline before picking up for the collar? I have several sweaters, including my Blue Thistle jacket, that want stabilizing with a chain of crochet around the shoulders because I tossed this advice [...]
Posted: January 17th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
[...] Amanda, my warmest and best-looking sweater, is knit from Wensleydale grown here in Oregon. My Blue Thistle jacket, also still unpilled and looking great, is Perendale. Mr. G’s Fishtrip cardigan is [...]