Ursula - the First

I am a knitter as well as a person who sews her own clothes.  In this grand cross country, life changing move, I am very blessed to have found an incredible LYS.  The Lancaster Yarn Shop is everything I could want in a shop - the owner is knowledgeable, friendly, and incredibly helpful - not only in the realm of knitting.  She often tells JB & I about things to do, places that have to be seen along with sharing great produce stands and restaurants.  

In January of this year, I signed up for her 4 week class to knit Ursula by Kate Davies.  This had several items on my knitting bucket list that I wanted to try - stranded colorwork and steeking.  Steeking is scary stuff, my friends, scary stuff!  I bought all the yarn to make a darker colored version of this sweater and then I fell in love with a stranded colorwork hat in the shop and had to have a sweater in those colors.  If you look closely you'll see my hair matches the colors in the sweater.  

I learned a lot of things making this sweater.  First - swatch, swatch, swatch and then try on.  Multiple times.  Because even though you've got gauge with your swatch, you might relax as you carry on.  

While I like this sweater a lot, I'm not sure I love it.  On me, to me - it feels a bit frumpy.  I know it doesnt look that way to others (or else the knit night ladies are all just being kind). It could also be how I styled it.  We had been at an industry conference and I was over it by the time I wore this outfit.  We had also spent 2 hours in the car coming home. 

It looks good from the back.  

In the future, I would add the ribbon to the button bands, but I would not actually add buttons.  I would use snaps - possibly magnetic ones.  This sweater will get worn - just not as much as I had hoped after all the work that went into it.  

I have enough yarn left over to make Eleanor a similar, but different sweater.  AND I still have enough yarn to make another version of this sweater.