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.
