This sweater is made out of 6 strand White Buffalo unspun yarn. If you've ever knit with this, you'll know that it is a pain in the @ss to knit. Since it's unspun, you have to kinda twist the strands as you knit with them, and they constantly break. It seems that no matter how gentle I am, the yarn hates me. So that's problem one.
Problem two is a bit strange. The "yarn" is black and when you knit with it, it colors your hands black and makes them really waxy. This coloring is not as easy to get out as it should be! I know I can set the color when I'm blocking, but I can do anything before that or it'll fall apart.
Also, this is a fair isle sweater, so it's been a bit of a challenge (especially with breaking yarn).
That's pretty much the background you need on this sweater. I should also mention that I had finished everything but the collar and weaving in the ends/button band/etc.
So this brings us to last night. We were out with Emmie, and for some reason, my reindeer sweater came up. I decided right then and there that I was just going to finish it, and get it done with. When we got home, I went to to bin that I kept the pieces in, and noticed that there was only one sleeve with it.
I know I knit the second one, so I looked everywhere it could be. Still no second sleeve. We live in a one bedroom apartment, so there isn't exactly a lot of hiding space. Also, this isn't exactly a small sleeve. It's about 2 feet wide, and 3.5 feet long. It's gigantic.
This sweater has become an entity all to itself. Stu was laughing last night, and I asked him what he was laughing about. His reply was, "You sure seem to have a lot of animosity towards that sweater". Animosity towards a sweater! I am truly crazy!
Anyways, long story short---I now have a reindeer vest. There isn't a chance in hell I'm knitting another sleeve for that sucker!
The ends need to be sewn in, but I gave it a try on, and to my chagrin, it looks awesome! I figured it would look horrible, which would go with the rest of my experience with it, and I'd put it in a box in the closet, never to be spoken of again. It will continue to haunt me as I am compelled to wear it, cause it looks really good. Argh!!
5 comments:
I knit 3 Cowichan-type sweaters with White buffalo unspun about 20 years ago (btw still being worn). Total pain in the arse until I stuck the cakes on a honking big needle and hung them on ice cream pails so they could spin freely. Knitting was quite the production what with setting up all the pails in a semi-circle around me in the right order to minimize the braiding, and playing a shell game every 20 rows or so to undo the tangles. LOL, those were the days!
That's the best looking vest I've ever seen. Go with it!!!
It looks great, bummer on the sleeve! If you're worried about the colors bleeding when you wash is, a good dollop of vinegar usually does the trick. Can't wait to see the FO!
Hey, what an incredible idea, just changing the sweater into a vest - perfect! And it's such a gorgeous one, certainly the coolest one I've seen in a long time! But holy cow, it must be such a pain in the ass to knit with the unspun yarn and the color coming off to your hands! But go with it, it's definitely worth it!
You did a beautiful job! Is that pattern from New Baby Knits by Debbie Bliss (1991)? You mentioned that it fit you so I was a little confused because that is the exact pattern as one of the sweaters in the above mentioned book. Congrats on finishing despite unspun yarn and dye going everywhere! You have persistence girl! :)
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