Growing up I was never really a fan of sweaters. Being a child of the 80's, I consider this quite understandable given the sea of huge shapeless sacks (with or without loud intarsia) of that time. However I remember whilst looking through the back of a closet one day, coming across some of my mother's clothes from the 1970's.
In the assortment was a fitted rust colored sweater with cables and lace and subtle pouf sleeves. I brought it out to show my Mom saying "Hey, this is actually cute!". Apparently it was one of her most favorite pieces; she loved the sweater and hadn't been able to bring herself to part with it.
When I started knitting, I remembered this sweater, it being the only one from my pre-knitting years I could ever recall really liking. I started to think about recreating it. I asked my mother if she would ship it to me so I could study it, now with a knitter's eye.
Now I can appreciate it even more. I love the cute split collar, the way the lace repeat travels down the arm and is framed with the cables and the deep ribbing at the waist. While the sweater does still fit me, I want to recreate it making a few updates/modifications. Mainly this will be extending the body ribbing to make it less of a cropped waist (for today's lower rise pants) and changing the sleeve length. Right now they hit really high on the wrist. I'm still deciding on whether to shorten to 3/4 length or lengthen for full. Anyone care to weigh in on that?
Here's my first swatch, to work out the lace and rough gauge. Please ignore the glaring error but I like this idea of using a strong eyelet pattern that shows through on the reverse purl side. I decided on Knit Picks Swish DK in mustardy Grain Heather for the yarn.
Proof my mother did wear this sweater a lot, a photo of her wearing said sweater at my first birthday. Yep that's little melon-head baby me, also with my dad and my awesome 1982 Strawberry Shortcake theme cake.
In the assortment was a fitted rust colored sweater with cables and lace and subtle pouf sleeves. I brought it out to show my Mom saying "Hey, this is actually cute!". Apparently it was one of her most favorite pieces; she loved the sweater and hadn't been able to bring herself to part with it.
When I started knitting, I remembered this sweater, it being the only one from my pre-knitting years I could ever recall really liking. I started to think about recreating it. I asked my mother if she would ship it to me so I could study it, now with a knitter's eye.
Now I can appreciate it even more. I love the cute split collar, the way the lace repeat travels down the arm and is framed with the cables and the deep ribbing at the waist. While the sweater does still fit me, I want to recreate it making a few updates/modifications. Mainly this will be extending the body ribbing to make it less of a cropped waist (for today's lower rise pants) and changing the sleeve length. Right now they hit really high on the wrist. I'm still deciding on whether to shorten to 3/4 length or lengthen for full. Anyone care to weigh in on that?
Here's my first swatch, to work out the lace and rough gauge. Please ignore the glaring error but I like this idea of using a strong eyelet pattern that shows through on the reverse purl side. I decided on Knit Picks Swish DK in mustardy Grain Heather for the yarn.
Proof my mother did wear this sweater a lot, a photo of her wearing said sweater at my first birthday. Yep that's little melon-head baby me, also with my dad and my awesome 1982 Strawberry Shortcake theme cake.
Wow.. you look just like your mom! I don't look like my mom at all - but our personalities are almost identical. Genetics are a strange, strange thing. People stop me & Munchkin in stores because we're practically clones... he looks nothing like my husband.
Oh..and I think you should lengthen the sweater so that it doesn't look too 80's throwback. Maybe bring the body of the sweater to the waist line and extend the ribbing beyond it to cover the space between your natural waist and the edge of the jeans.
Both you and Jessica look so much like your mother, it's amazing (and that's a compliment :) ). I have to say, I HATE 3/4 length sleeves ESP on sweaters. If it's cold enough for a sweater, it's cold enough for sleeves.
I'm also confused about sweater vests but that's a whole new subject!
Wow you look so much like your mom! Oh, and I *love* that awesome fruit wallpaper in that picture lol
Whoa, are you sure that's your mom and not some sly photoshopping of a picture of yourself? Seriously, you look sooo much like her!
Oh, wait, someone said it first. Whoops!
I love that all photos from that early 80s era look oh so similar :)
And how neat is it to have that sweater AND a photo of your mom wearing it. Very awesome.
Baby Jennifer: "What's that, Mom? I can't hear you over the wallpaper!"
God, you gotta love the eighties.
I hope that you'll share the pattern once you have it worked up!
I am voting for long sleeves.
And you look soooo much like your mum, it's amazing!
i'm going to copy everyone else and say "WHOA! you look exactly like your mom!!" you really do! :) and your dad's mustache...holy cow. and the wallpaper...it's all so hilarious!
the sweater is awesome. please do share the pattern once you get it all worked up. :)
Yep, agreeing with everyone else here with the "You look so much like your mom!" I love the picture. So cute! Very cute sweater too. I'd knit that pattern!
Sounds like this will be a very special knit! Love the color you chose, that color has become one of my favorites lately.
Super cute! I vote for long sleeves!
my goodness you look like your mum! Exact same smile!!
I repeat what everyone is saying (and that I'm sure you know) - you look amazingly like your mother.
Um.. what's up with that wallpaper?!
I vote for full-length sleeves. I think it will look more complete with the longer, ribbed waist. Maybe make an extended cuff in the same ribbing (or would that give it an odd shape)?
Love this pic - and the wallpaper! You ARE your mom.
What a wonderful idea! I can't wait to see how it turns out. I vote for longer sleeves.
Wow....I swear I thougt that was you on that photo. Is it really possible to look so much like your mother!!! Love the sweater by the way. Looking forward to see your version :)
Hi, I recently found this blog - thanks for writing. Just wanted to let you know that it's not displaying correctly on the BlackBerry Browser (I have a Pearl). Anyway, I am now subscribed to the RSS feed on my laptop, so thank you!