I finished the spiral sweater this afternoon, and the moment the last stitch was cast off, I glanced out the window and saw that my friendly knitting neighbor was outside with her son. So of course I tossed it on (despite the mid-80’s hot, humid, sticky weather) and ran outside with my girls and the camera.
These photos are obviously not “styled”, and in fact I still haven’t woven in the last couple of ends or even taken the last stitch marker off the hem.
Also, the sweater needs a good blocking, which will smooth out the decrease lines on the shoulders and make the whole thing look a lot more put-together.
But – I am quite happy with the results of this little experiment. I think another spiral sweater may be in my relatively near future. I want to refine the shaping a bit, experiment with a different stitch pattern. I also want to think about how to explain this process a bit better. I do want to write this one up, but not in the normal expected way. This is more of a recipe than a pattern, and it is not the kind of recipe with exact measurements, but the kind of recipe where you add ingredients till it looks, feels, or tastes right. This is the kind of pattern that can be adapted to any shape or size of person, any weight of yarn the knitter desires with relative ease. I don’t want to limit it to a specific set of exact directions.
I want to write it up in a way that even knitters who are afraid of math, have little to no confidence in their own imagination or ability to improvise, can succeed at it. This is truly an advanced-beginner project for anyone who is willing to simply follow the directions. Even the lace – it is a simple, single repeat knit with only 20-some stitches per row, which makes fixing mistakes easy as pie.
I’ve proven the concept. Next time around, I want some company to knit along with me. I’ll use a fine-gauge yarn and knit it in my own size. You’ll have plenty of time to keep up, and we’ll do the math together. C’mon! You know you want to!
Amazing and beautiful. You know we knitters are kinda nutso that we'll try on the new sweater in the hot weather (I'd have done it!) I really think I may need to make this with you next time. I'll be watching!
i'd love to make this, but would prefer a cardigan. any ideas on how to adapt your design?
do you have any idea how many yards of yarn yours took?
margie
It is beautiful. Great design Shelly! I am sorely tempted to join your kal.
Love. That. Sweater. It's just beautiful! I would most definitely be interested in doing a KAL for your next one, even though math and I are not the best of friends.
It looks fantastic! Great job. I'd be willing to give it a shot.
I'll hop on the KAL bandwagon, too. The sweater is beautiful! You are so creative.
Beautiful!!
And the stitch marker? at first glance I though it was a button and I thought that it was the right touch… so should I gather the umpf to do a KAL I think that's what I would do…
Love it… Could you tell us the yardage needed for the KAL?
Ok now all I can think of are colors…
BTW your smile says it all!!
Just spotted this on Ravelry – it is absolutely gorgeous :0)
Pretty cool, missy.
That's one gorgeous sweater. I love it and would love to try it. And, I really like the idea of a "recipe."
it's an awesome sweater!
That looks great! What a fun design. Good job!
That's pretty darn cool!
Congratulations on a very innovative design! You made it work and I'm impressed with your plan to call it a recipe. It definitely benefits from the long color repeats and I'm not sure I could come up with a comparable colorway… not Noro for sure, too scratchy. Great job.
I have to admit, I wasn't a big fan of the progress photos (I love reading your blog, but my personal tastes differ a bit from yours sometimes), but I loooooooove this seater! And I am not a pullover fan in the slightest! There are a few things that I might tweak if I were making this for me, but that's the great thing about knitting!
Congrats on a beautiful and innovative sweater. I look forward to the KAL!
I have to say that's a beautiful sweater. And the way the spiral sits in the front would make this a very flattering pattern to those of us who are a bit more "curvy". I may just have to join your KAL.
Gorgeous! I can't help but stare at it and think that there has to be a way to continue that swirly, lacey, awesomeness over the shoulders…or at least another band of it across the back. But I'm not entirely sure how. I'd certainly think about joining the knit-along…but I suspect that I just don't have the time for it right now (which makes me very sad).
That is one cool & beautiful sweater!
Amazing and beautiful! I'm ready for your kal because I really must have one of these for myself!
The sweater is beautiful (and cool concept, too!). I may have to break out of my shawl/scarf fixation and knit along with you!
had to add: Just showed this to my hubby (who is not a knit-fan) and he thinks it's really cool!
I love how this has turned out. Fabulous idea and well executed. I would love to have a go at a KAL, anything with a bit of interesting geometry is good.
It looks great! Very different! I love it!
I love it! it's beautiful!
Oh Shelly, that is beautiful. I want to ignore my baby belly and join your KAL for after this winter.
love the sweater and love the colors. You did an amazing job.
Wow! The sweater came out beautiful. Great job, your mind works in wonderful knitterly ways. I never would have come up with something like that.
wowow! so beautiful, inventive and flattering! i will definately be joining in on a KAL! wow!
i think you should call it the 'thriller' sweater…
missy
LOVE it!!!!! Can't wait for your pattern!!!!!
Lovely!
"oh my!" is right, said EZ
Darling sweater Shelly! I just may have to start this one
Beautiful blog!