Three and One
When my mother asked for a new sweater to replace one she’d lost, this wasn’t what either of us imagined. The sweater that went missing was a patchwork of pictorial intarsia and textural panels in earthy colors. I wasn’t going to try to recreate that, but it was difficult to work out an alternative that suited my vision and my mother’s. She’d mention a feature of one or another of my sweaters that she liked, but bringing them together was a challenge. So I did what any sensible knitter would do: I spread out my Elizabeth Zimmermann library and together we pored over the many wonderful designs involving colorwork. Three & One caught her fancy, and I could see ways to add the waist shaping and shawl collar Mum had requested, so we were off to the races. We chose the yarn: Cascade Eco Wool for the base and Cascade Rustic for the accent colors. Ten months later, the sweater is finished.
At some point (well into the knitting, mind you) it occurred to me that I was trying to make a fitted cardigan by stranding a bulky wool with an Aran-weight wool/linen blend. How was this sweater not going to be Michelin-Man bulky and far too warm? But my parents are active folk; when they are not working on their new house they are usually to be found outside doing all the chores that come with living in the woods. And the chilly damp of the Pacific Northwest guarantees this sweater can stand in for a jacket in fall and spring as well as winter.
I thought I’d give it a test run yesterday just to make sure. I had a little vacation in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the weather was unexpectedly fair, so we took the dog for a special outing to the Sandy River delta, where she can run full tilt for as long as her mighty heart and skinny legs desire (which is a very long time… owners of other energetic dogs always thank us for bringing “the rabbit”). There is often strong wind at the delta, and yesterday was no exception. My fingers were quickly raw and I wished I’d worn a warmer hat, but the Three & One was perfectly cozy. (It was even cozier after the walk when we retired to Bakery Bar for coffee and fried egg sandwiches on homemade biscuits. The day was warm enough for sitting outside in the sun, and there was no wind in town.)
It wasn’t until I saw these photos that I realized all was not quite right. Look again… I’ll bet you can spot it, if you haven’t already.
Yeah. I don’t know how I did it, but I sewed all the buttons on half an inch low, and as a result the pattern doesn’t match up across the fronts. I’m sure Mum would wear the sweater and love it anyway, the way Dad wears his gansey with the too-tight hem (my first bout with the tubular cast on wasn’t a resounding victory), but this is not something I can live with. Snip, snip, snip. Off came the buttons and their backing buttons, and up they all moved. Problem solved.
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
What a wonderful sweater! This is one of EZ’s I haven’t looked at seriously enough. Bet your Mum will absolutely love this!
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Wow. That is just gorgeous. I’m glad it was an easy fix. No ripping involved.
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Another winner – it’s beautiful!
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
This is a gorgeous sweater. Do you think this sweater is a good project for a relative colorwork novice? I’ve done a couple of little hats.
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
The sweater is beautiful. What a lucky mama you have.
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
That is a spectacular sweater! You should be so proud of your beautiful work. That is truly an heirloom in-the-making. I can’t stop admiring it!
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
What a great sweater! I love Three-and-One: so simple, but effective. Love what you did at the waist.
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
That is one beautiful sweater, Sarah! I can’t believe it’s in bulky yarn; it doesn’t seem that bulky in the photos. Lucky Mom 🙂
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Your colour choices are wonderful — and the sweater itself is gorgeous and practical all at the same time. I’m sure your mother will be thrilled with it!
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I admire your knitterly ability. This one looks seriously challenging. And it’s beautiful.
Posted: January 19th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
That. Is. So. Beautiful. Bravo!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 3:26 am
How beautiful! I’m continually inspired by your will to figure knitterly things out. Combined with your aesthetic sense, your knitties always seem to turn out beautifully.
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 3:54 am
Such a gorgeous sweater! I hadn’t even noticed this sweater in my EZ books, but I will definitely give it another look.
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 3:56 am
The sweater looks great! Love the color choices, it all goes so well together.
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 5:03 am
Beautiful – loving your color combination! I didn’t know Eco-Wool had those colors….hmmmm…you’ve got me thinking.
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Wow! Great work! I love the colors and the style!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 5:27 am
What a beautiful sweater! I would have a hard time giving it to my mom, that is for sure!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 5:55 am
This is such a beautiful sweater. I love the waist shaping and shawl collar mods. Stunning!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 6:11 am
I’ve been in a knitterly rut lately and you have inspired me!! Wow, what a beautiful, beautiful sweater!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 6:46 am
wow, it’s so, so gorgeous!! I love the idea of the stranded cardi done in a more fitted style, it looks fantastic and really flattering. Great job!!!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Ingenious! Your mother’s sweater looks wonderfully cozy and stylish, perfect for blustery climes!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 7:18 am
What a beautiful piece – lovely motif
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 9:36 am
The sweater is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous!!!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 10:06 am
That is just beautiful!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
It turned out lovely! Great work. And a sweater that stands up to the winds at the Sandy River Delta is a snuggly sweater indeed. It sounds perfect for PNW weather.
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
It is so beutifull. Your details has made it absolutely fantastic. I have now ordred the book. I must try it.
Right now I am knitting a Marianne Isager sweater – “Summer in Tokyo” in fair isle. I hope it wont take 10 month – but if it does it is Okey 😉 because I am also knitting a lot of other things…….
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Sarah dearest, it is a work of art!! “Thank you” is completely insufficient for all your creativity and the immeasurable hours you’ve put into it. I will treasure it always, because it is beautiful, but especially because it comes from you. I’ll try to keep it out of brambles, stone walls, and other trouble – safe, so you can wear it, too, when you wish!
All love and XOX,
A lucky Mom indeed!
Posted: January 20th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Lovely, lovely, lovely! The red at the top, middle and sleeve caps is an especially inspired touch. And you know, I honestly couldn’t see the half inch off the buttons were sitting until you mentioned it. It just looks gorgeous!
How did you ultimately manage the waist shaping? It really changes the pattern for the better!
Posted: January 21st, 2010 at 4:21 am
It’s lovely – I love the collar and the colors!
Posted: January 21st, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I add to the applause and once again compliment you on your great work! Lucky Mommy!
Posted: January 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
You did an absolutely beautiful job! Love the colors and the collar variation! Inspiring!
Posted: January 23rd, 2010 at 12:33 am
It is beautiful sweater! The colours are lovely and the shaping and collar look fantastic. I am sure you will be very proud when you see your mum wearing it and realise how happy she is in it. Most inspiring.
Posted: January 24th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Darn it! Now I have another sweater to add to my “to knit” list! It’s gorgeous! I love it!
Posted: January 24th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
It’s gorgeous! Nothing short of perfection from you, as usual!
Posted: January 25th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Awesome sweater, and I hope this year is going better for you than the last. Funny thing, it seems as if 2009 was a difficult year for many many people, myself included. I’ve had the best 25 last days in comparison, so I hope you are too!
Posted: January 26th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Really incredible! You are so talented!
Posted: January 26th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
You’re a bigger person than I am. I don’t think I could have parted with such a gorgeous sweater. I mean I love my mum and everything but….
Posted: January 28th, 2010 at 7:22 am
[…] ** Hello gorgeous hand-knit sweater! […]
Posted: January 30th, 2010 at 3:56 am
it’s lovely
Posted: January 30th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
This is lovely!
Posted: January 30th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
I really love this sweater! just amazing. I hope to be that good one day!
Posted: January 31st, 2010 at 7:55 am
i am quite literally breathless and a little bit speechless in the face of the beauty of that sweater. it is such a beautiful piece of knitting, and i say it every time, but you are an exquisite knitter. EZ would be so happy to know how much of her influence still lives and breathes today. if i had need for anything that warm, it would be on my needles. i just love it, sarah. 🙂 a
Posted: February 1st, 2010 at 5:06 pm
It’s exquisite, and I’m sure your mother just adores it!
Posted: February 17th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Sarah, this is just stunning! I’m always in awe of your skill!
Posted: July 6th, 2010 at 9:11 am
WOW, Sarah, what a gorgeous sweater.
I only discovered it today, as well as your sweet news… must have been on the moon meanwhile… 😉
All the best for the few weeks to go!