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Colorblocking and, er, Fiberblocking?

(I'm just going to ignore the fact that this is my first post in nearly a year an a half...)

With just under a month past its Christmas due date, I cast off on my niece’s Christmas sweater.  After tearing up the internets for the perfect pattern, my sister send me some links to sweaters she liked, including this one.  Something about the simplicity called out to me and so I checked out my yarn stash to see what would work.  I gravitated to the little hearts, but when I remembered I had this shocking pink just itching to be used, visions of colorblocking danced in my head (sorry, it is a Christmas sweater, though, people! And I am a big, giant dork.) 


Anyway, as is the standard, I went back and forth between shocking pink and winter white and shocking pink and oatmeal...winter white… shocking pink.  I eventually decided on the pink/oatmeal combo, only to soon doubt whether or not I could pull off using two fiber types.  Surely it’s been done.  Not by me, but by more adventurous knitters. Also, the wool was of a slightly thinner gauge.  Details…

I jumped in with both feet and started knitting the 6-month size, but after knitting up several inches of stockinette I quickly realized my niece, Penelope, would be swimming in it.  So, I frogged and tried again with the 0-3 month size.  Penelope has my favorite baby physique and so although she is 7 months, I was trying for a 12 month size sweater.  (Note: this was on the way to Christmas in NJ, somehow I still thought I would finish this in time.  I really will never learn.)

The directions were clear and the sweater knit up quickly.  I changed colors after joining the arms.  To fasten the neck, I added some metal snaps.

wee metal snaps

Despite the slightly larger gauge of the cotton yarn, it was during blocking that the fiber/gauge difference was most notable.  The wool section dried in a matter of hours, but the cotton yoke took nearly two days to fully dry out and soften up. All finished, I think the use of two fibers works fine and will make for somewhat of an internal air conditioning system.  Just like with zebras. I’ll report back when I see how Penel likes it!


every little sweater needs a pop of neon, amiright?


Pattern: Buddy Sweater
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Doeskin
           Blue Sky Dyed Cotton in Lotus & a Neon Yellow/Green 
Needles: Size 8 Addis
Size: My gauge was super off, so I knit the 0-3 month size, but with 12-month length to fit a 20-lb. six month old baby. 

Comments

Beverly said…
What a fun sweater!
Kelly said…
Thanks, Beverly :)

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