I am not a pattern repeater. I can't think of a single pattern I have knit multiple times. Except
Retro Prep. I love this stripey little sweater. It's light-weight making it ideal for all but two or three months of the year here in Seattle. It's simple. It fits well. I knew when I first knit it that it was in the style of Elizabeth Zimmermann. I only realized when I knit it a
second time (only the bottom half this time) that it was an Elizabeth Zimmermann percentage sweater down to every last digit. The pattern doesn't reference Zimmermann at all which I think is really inappropriate. Now I'm knitting it again in
yarn I bought three years ago with a sweater like this in mind. At that time I didn't know about seamless bottom-up construction or steeks.
After all the
trauma of getting this sweater started it has been smooth sailing. The body is complete to the armpits. One sleeve knit up in just a few days. The second sleeve was started last night. I'm teaching a class on EZ's percentage system at the shop. I need to have the body and sleeves ready to demonstrate how to join it all up. I was worried about being ready in time but now I see I'll have the sleeves done in a day or two and I'll have to then put it all aside and wait. I could knit a closet full of these sweaters. I'm sure I will eventually. There's still
yarn in the stash earmarked for it.
