Knit WIPs

Last fall, a friend sent me a photo of the Lakes Pullover by Ozetta, a cozy wool sweater with saddle shoulders, and asked if she could commission me to make one for her. Coincidentally, it happened to be sitting in my Ravelry queue already. So while I don’t knit for money, nor do I usually knit for people outside my immediate family unless they’re extremely knitworthy (which she very much is), I told her I’d be happy to make it for her as a gift.

Making a garment for someone who doesn’t live with me is always a little nerve-wracking. If I’m knitting a sweater for myself or my kids, I’m constantly checking the fit and making adjustments as I go. But in this case, all I could do was trust the pattern’s suggested measurements, finishing as much as possible without going too far in case anything needed reworking.

I finished the body and one of the sleeves, leaving the live hem and cuff stitches on cables. Next, I opted to complete the neckline, which was somewhat of a risk. Then, I washed and blocked the whole thing so there would be no mystery about how the fabric would behave.

The verdict? We got together last week, and happily it fits nearly perfectly.

There’s only one minor adjustment needed for sleeve length, which won’t take more than an evening to address. After that, I’ll knit the second sleeve, weave in the ends, wash it, and hope it arrives in the mail in time for her birthday at the end of the month.

Since I enjoy repeating patterns (it’s always easier the second time around) and the nuances are still fresh in my mind, I’m thinking of making a second Lakes Pullover in yarn from my stash for my oldest daughter. The smallest adult size might still be too big for her, but she’s growing rapidly right now, and I’d rather knit something too large than too small.

Next, I made another pair of my go-to “boot” socks, which I love. They’re quick to knit and mindless for me at this point, given how often I’ve made them. I wear them all winter around the house or with clogs. And because they’re small and portable, I’m almost always working up a new pair on my needles.

If you’re a knitter, you can find my sock pattern notes here.

As for what I’ll be working on next, I think it’s finally time to revisit one of the many sweaters I have in hibernation: the Acer Cardigan, the Felix Pullover, the Hobbiton Vest, or the Skovmærker—all of which I started years ago and nearly finished before putting them on hold for various reasons.

I only just recently recovered them from storage after setting up our new office space, and I’m finding I really can’t stand to leave a project unfinished, much less four or five. So regardless of whether I decide to finish or frog them, it’ll be such a relief.

Now, hopefully I left myself very detailed project notes so I can pick up exactly where I left off…