Can I help you with some 4ply/fingering weight sweater inspiration today?
Excellent!
Here are two of my favourites - both made over the winter-ish of 2016 going into 2017, and both from brilliant designers.
The first one is my Boxy. I made this quite specifically as a work jumper - I used Tempo 4ply which is our superwash wool/nylon blen because I know it can take a LOT of abuse; and I made the sleeves the perfect length for where my rubber gloves go up to - I use heavy duty biohazard type gloves for work.. not because of the dyes (which are non-toxic anyway) as many people think but because Marigolds just don't hold up to constantly wringing out skeins of yarn - the twisting action breaks the rubber between the thumb and forefinger. Anyway.. so these big red heavy duty gloves come right up to my elbow, and I wanted my work jumper's sleeves to meet them.
Additionally, being.. well.. boxy.. is perfect for working in - there's loads of room for movement and I don't have to constantly pull it down or adjust it in any way.
I love the detail over the shoulders. The garter ridges help identify which is the back of the jumper in a jiffy, too.
And yep, it's a lot of stocking stitch. But honestly, it's good TV or travel knitting, so it can go quickly without you really noticing.
Secondly, similarly way behind everyone else, I finally made a Breathing Space!!
I must admit though, I'm a bit heartbroken because I love it but I don't think it suits me. I've made it way too long. And these photos were taken in around Feb 2016 - I've lost approximately two stones since then, so I recently got all excited and tried it on but I'm gutted because I still don't think it suits me! I'll show you an updated pic at some point.
That ^^ looks ok, doesn't it? It's the lower part of it, somehow. I've tried it with skinny jeans on thinking that'd be perfect, and I still don't like it. It's really galling when that happens. I LOVE Milburn 4ply in Steel and Bramble together - you just can't beat pink and grey, can you?! So that rubs salt into the wound, really.
At least I can display it at shows.. maybe I need to knit another one, shorter. I suppose actually I could unpick the cast off edge and rip it out to make it shorter; what do you think? What would you do?
I always hate pictures of myself from the back more than the front! I have to say though that despite my disappointment about how I look in this sweater (which is totally not the sweater's fault!!) I did really enjoy making it, and the fabric of the Milburn 4ply knitted up, washed and blocked is so gorgeous - it's soft and light, yet warm.
So.. what do you think? Should I shorten it? Leave it? Wear it anyway? I'm going to go try it on *again* actually as soon as I hit publish on this but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
- Victoria
Ellen, thanks for the comment!
I tried this sweater on again recently, just with skinny jeans on, and it probably looks ok but to me I just don’t like it on me. It’s the long side – it’s the wrong length. I’m not going to do anything with it, because I realised I’d have to totally change it to make the long side look ok. So.. lesson learned, I suppose!
I always hide my behind if I can!
Milburn 4-ply is so easy to love, I empathize with your disappointment. I think shortening it about half of the lower Steel panel might please you a bit. Frankly on my vertically challenged, horizontally endowed body, the horizontal color block would be the problem, widening the sweater’s appearance.
OTOH, the Boxy is terrific. It’s easy to see how comfortable it is.
I smiled at your confession of not caring for pictures of you from the back and then you went and decorated your bottom with the sweet little posies. Well done!