I love that Jackson's Hiking Sweater is knitting up so quickly, but I have to admit, I am not a fan of this pattern. Which pains me to say, because...does that mean that I am not a fan of the great Elizabeth Zimmermann herself?!? Wendy said that she modeled this pattern after EZ's Seamless Yoke Sweater, which makes total sense to me after re-reading that section of "The Knitting Workshop" last night. You make a bunch of tubes (the body and two sleeves) and then join them in the round, add your yoke with some decreases and you're done. But Wendy's statement of "the stitches across the sleeves will be snug for the first few rounds [after joining with the body]" was an understatement, imho. And EZ never even mentions that it may get a little tough at this part! I don't consider myself a wimpy knitter, but this assembly has definitely caused me to question my knitting fortitude (there's only so far that I can stretch a wooden knitting needle!). At least my double-points were at the ready for some quick corner-turning action.But it's still a quick knit and (will hopefully turn out to be) an adorable sweater. It's just those first few assembly rounds that SUCK. (I still have never actually done an EZ pattern, now at least I know my first one WON'T be the Seamless Yoke Sweater.)
The dining room rug that you can just barely see pictured in the background is about to be moved to the trash as soon as I hit "post" here. (Luckily) you can't see the myriad of stains all over it in the photo, but the straw that broke the camel's back today was a major milk spill from Jackson's lunch about two seconds after I snapped this shot. Since I was already starting to hate this rug anyway (remind me why I put a rug beneath my table - and OVER my easy-to-clean hardwood floors - when a small child eats there too?), I decided to skip the clean-up and go right for The Boy (after whisking my knitting out of the way, it's amazing how fast a knitter will move to save her work). The Boy who positively BURST into tears after this spill. I laughed and told him that I wasn't mad at him (after all, "no use crying over spilled milk!") but he didn't like my consoling. Can we say "nap time," anyone? He was asleep in about three seconds, after I stripped him out of the milk-soaked clothes and found some comfy and dry PJs.
Anyway, off to clean up, clear out and resume knitting again. This sweater is going so fast that you'll hopefully see a finished product by the next time I talk about it, or at least a colorful yoke design in progress (finally! some color action after many, many inches of Stockinette in one color!).
4 comments:
I have knitted many a seamless yoke sweater in my time, and the first few rounds of the yoke are ALWAYS hard on the hands. It is the reason EZ doesn't put any pattern in the first inch after you join up the three tubes.
That's what I don't like about seamless sweaters - the first couple of rounds after joining the sleeves... But I still fight these rounds to avoid seaming the sleeves in later ;)
And I think sweaters for kids do gets a better fit with knitting in the round.
I smiled when I read about you saving your knitting in a hurry - that's the first thing that strikes my mind if the kids starts to eat around the coffetable (where I usually have my knitting) - save the knitting!
did you hear the knitting harlot on all things considered last night?
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/13/harlot/
i think the hiking sweater is cute! i love the color!
It's not an EZ specific thing! :) It's just a bottom up seamless sweater. Try some of the Knitting Pure & Simple top down sweaters - it's MUCH, MUCH easier from that direction.
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