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I’m knitting another sweater: deconstructionist tendancies and a new obsession

the sweater: Ribby Cardi
the yarn: Cotton Ease in Stone
the previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

It’s been all shocking deconstruction around here. Since last time I ripped out the collar, undid the seams in the arms and ripped back all the armhole shaping on the body — back to the point where the body was a rectangle again. Then I knit in about 2.5 inches of length. When I hold it up to my body it seems far too long, but as I found with the finished object, it’s not going to be that long when it’s all put back together. Next I’ll be lengthening the arms and the collar and wishing I hadn’t been so ready to clip the nice orange twill tape before I tried the sweater on with the zipper sewn in. Let me say again, I am so so glad that I bought more yarn than the pattern called for. Otherwise I would have been making trips to Michael’s craft store begging the employees to care about dye lots.

Meanwhile I’ve become obsessed with a different sweater entirely. On a trip to Macy’s for some jeans I decided I needed another sweater — as utilitarian as the charcoal Ribby Cardi is the Cotton Ease is looking a little ragged and it’s not like I’ll have the light gray one ready to wear any time soon. I found lots and lots of non-wool sweaters (yay!) but found one that creates a large, slouchy collar.

Now, the swater is not meant to be worn with the collar up, the underside of the cabling is showing. It works fine for trips to the grocery store or dim pubs but I’m still aware I’m cheating. I stitched a small black snap in place to keep the collar up, and I even love that it’s slightly asymmetrical.

When worn the way it was intended the sweater looks sort of like this:

I far prefer the big collar up.

I like the offcenterness of it, I like the minimal closure, I like the cozy, cozy collar. I want to make one that functions the same way! I’ve been looking for patterns and the closes I can come is this pattern at Berroco, which is not quite right. Also, that sweater does not really call for that sort of boogying.

So, if you know of a pattern somewhere that is similar — slightly crossed over, large slouchy collar, please let me know. I’ve scoured Ravelry and Knitty and Interweave and nothing is quite right. I’m sure I could create a pattern on my own but I don’t want to if I don’t have to. I’ve taken a good look at the shape of the existing sweater and it’s essentially an overlapping, squared off v-neck cardigan with thick button bands and a large, rectangular collar picked up and knit all the way around the neck hole. Have I mentioned that it’s lovely and cozy and warm?

· comments [25] · 02-7-2008 · categories:knitting ·

25 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Heather // Feb 7, 2008 at 6:01 am

    Does this one from DROPS work?
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/103-1-jacket-in-eskimo-or-silke-alpaca-with-a-shape-and–long-or-long-sleeves
    It’s in my Rav queue because there are some beauties out there. Good luck finding what you want! (cdnknitchick on RAV)

  • 2 Kelly // Feb 7, 2008 at 6:24 am

    LOVE this sweater. you should sell them. :)

  • 3 Rebecca // Feb 7, 2008 at 7:19 am

    I was going to recommend the DROPS pattern too. Also check out this Zeyphyrstyle pattern “28thirty” – it’s in my Ravelry queue: http://www.zephyrstyle.com/catalog/item.cfm/2367447/5358923

  • 4 Karen // Feb 7, 2008 at 7:26 am

    Try interweaveknits.com:Jawbreaker Cardigan
design by Kendra Cray and also not for the collar, but one button closure similar in style but not slouchy necked:tilted duster by norah gaughan also at interweave knits

  • 5 sarah // Feb 7, 2008 at 7:40 am

    I was going to recommend the DROPS sweater too! I’ll have to think about this longer to see if I know of any others.

  • 6 Daphne // Feb 7, 2008 at 8:09 am

    The 28thirty is cute but a) cropped, b) has garter stitch sleeves. Both could be easily modified out.

    I think of the Tilted Duster and the Central Park Hoodie — not exactly right in either case but combinable elements.

  • 7 Ann // Feb 7, 2008 at 8:53 am

    The DROPS sweater came to my mind also. It seems like it fits what you’re looking for and is a pretty popular pattern on Ravelry. A couple other patterns I found were:

    http://www.elann.com/ProductDisp.asp?Name=Helen+Hamann+Asymmetrical+Coat&ProductType=4#

    Or this pattern:

    http://zeitgeistyarns.blogspot.com/2006/10/stick-fork-in-her-baby_04.html

    Or you could take a pre-exisiting pattern like Flair from Wendy @ Knit and Tonic (which has almost everything you’re looking for) and add on a collar.

    Good luck!

  • 8 Chelsea // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:07 am

    Watching you tear apart your sweater and reknit it to what you want is giving the confidence and hope that I can do the same to mine. I really want a charcoal Ribby!

  • 9 megan // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:17 am

    Thanks so much everybody! I’m familiar with the 28thirty sweater and considered making it. The Drops sweater is close, and I think I could open up the neckline without too much trouble. Neither of the Interweave ones give me enough to work off of. I do like the Zeitgist sweater. Flair is a little too intentionally swingy for what I’m going for, but it’s a nice pattern. Yay!

  • 10 Carrie // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:19 am

    No advice on sweaters (you covered the ones I knew about) but had to laugh at the bottom part of your entry. Half of my sweater queue on Ravelry is just for “parts”!

  • 11 Gwen // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:42 am

    What about adding long sleeves (and maybe a closure further down) to this sweater?
    http://www.bitterpurl.com/2008/01/finding_oneself.php

  • 12 megan // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:54 am

    Gwen – Maybe. I would need to make it overlap a big more. I really like the cabling on that.

  • 13 megan // Feb 7, 2008 at 11:09 am

    The more I look at it I think the Drops pattern would be fine. I’m not hugely interested in the moss stitch but it would be easy enough to change that to something else. And the gauge is so large, it would be a fast sweater (which is appealing to me right now).

  • 14 Harper // Feb 7, 2008 at 2:27 pm

    Look at Phildar’s #472 Fall 2007 collection — several are interesting but the one that I was thinking of is number 28. It’s double breasted which gives me pause but that would be a simple fix. Check out #10, it has cables and a ribbed collar that looks like it can be worn up or down but not asymmetric.

    Also, Debbie Bliss (Simply Soft) has an asymmetric cable jacket. I’m not sure if this long address will be usable but I saw it on the Knitting Fever site. http://www.knittingfever.com/knitpatterns.asp?manu=Debbie+Bliss&book=Debbie+Bliss+%28Simply+Soft%29&prodid=4796&prodtype=book&detail=no

  • 15 megan // Feb 7, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Harper – Oh yeah, #28 is good. I suspect the gauage for that yarn wouldn’t work with my plans to use worsted, but I like the style.

  • 16 A. // Feb 7, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    For some reason, I the picture of how it “should” be worn keeps on reminding me of the modified Junos from Rowan #40, i.e. Coloursknits’ March 18 2007 post and Yarnharlot’s May 14 2007. The collar construction is completely different I think, but still, I was just reminded of them…

  • 17 splatgirl // Feb 7, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    OK, it’s official. You’ve ripped out more knitting than I’ve completed in like the last three years.
    But the sweater is and will be awesome!

  • 18 kelli // Feb 7, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    What about the Ram’s Horn Jacket in Knitting Nature?
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/365504146/

  • 19 Linda // Feb 7, 2008 at 10:14 pm

    The Asymmetric Cardi from Knitting Nature?
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/asymmetrical-cardigan

  • 20 Dava // Feb 8, 2008 at 6:02 am

    Megan, you’ve inspired me. I’d been crocheting a scarf for a friend and was unhappy with they way it was turning out (too bulky, too heavy, ick), but was continuing because I was “almost finished”. When I read about your sweater, I thought, “Hey, if she can take a SWEATER apart and start over, I can certainly start over on a simple SCARF.” So out it came, and now I’m knitting a much nicer scarf and am happier. Thanks for your fine example. :-)

  • 21 Karin // Feb 8, 2008 at 6:43 am

    When I saw the name “Kyra” and the awkward boogying, I immediately wondered if it was a throwback to Xanadu? Anyone?

    Lovely sweaters, by the way :)

  • 22 megan // Feb 8, 2008 at 9:02 am

    Linda – I’m afraid I’d be unable to untangle the shapes from the stitch pattern on that one.

  • 23 drcarrie // Mar 1, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    This was just posted on magknits: http://www.magknits.com/josephine.html

    Maybe without all the buttons?

  • 24 Debbie Newbold // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:54 am

    I have just checked your website and love the page with the cabled cardigan with the big collar. A friend of mine has been searching for a pattern like this and was wondering where to get it from. I live in England and would love to make this for my friend.

  • 25 megan // Oct 2, 2008 at 8:33 am

    Debbie – Do you mean the picture of the black cardigan above? If so I bought that one at Macys. Do you mean the green sweater pictured here? If so the link to that free pattern is on that page.

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