Finishing Things

This week I also finished a sweater I’d started around last Thanksgiving.  For years – ever since we got Max – I’ve loved the play of different colors in his fur, and have been trying to think of a way to knit a sweater that would evoke his fur colors.  After a lot of thinking last summer (and seeing new types of yarns in the stores), it finally crystallized.  I knew I wanted a plain boxy silhouette,  something to throw on as a jacket in the mild winters around here.

The sweater is knit with three strands of yarn held together. 

• Madelinetosh “Tosh Lace” in Fig was used as the first strand, throughout the entire garment.
• Filatura di Crosa “Superior” in Black was used as the second strand, everywhere except the front center panel, where I used the camel color of this same yarn.
• The third strand changed colors periodically to give the striped look.  Third strands alternated between Little Knits’ “Indie” in beige, Little Knits’ “Indie II” in black, and BijouSpun Laceweight (yak down!) in natural brown.

In person it is almost difficult to see the difference between the narrower dark stripes (done with the BijouSpun) and the wider dark stripes (done with Indie II).  In the picture they look much more distinct.

Superior is a very fine, fluffy cashmere/silk yarn.  Like a kid mohair yarn, but with cashmere instead of mohair.  It’s absolutely my most favorite yarn in the world, and I only wish Filatura di Crosa would let me be a supplier!  But they won’t, because we have no brick-and-mortar store.  But by carrying the strand of Superior along with the others, it gave the whole garment a more fluffy, cat-like texture.  Yes, I pet my sleeves when I’m wearing it.

I love Max – Max loves me.  The really funny part about this sweater is that Bickie loved to sit with me while I was working on it, so it is not only a Max sweater, but covered in little sheds of Bickie fur.

The front hem is actually ribbed, but I hadn’t steamed it flat yet when C took this pic.

This is knit a bit differently to show the solid black stripe down Max’s spine.

Ack.  Are my shoulders REALLY that droopy?