Knitting in extreme weather, or pull # 079-T12-193

After Canada we spent some time in Pennsylvania but then went to Florida. I've never been to Florida Keys in August and soon discovered that it is not the best time to visit this place. Besides scorching heat and high level humidity, there are mosquitoes! I couldn't even imagine they can be so omnipresent and vicious.

Strangely enough, this kind of environment (hot, humid, and swarming with mosquitoes) is a great motivator for knitting. You see, while in Pennsylvania, I made two summer t-shirts, didn't like them, and promptly unraveled them both. After this I kind of lost my knitting mojo for a while, plus we were moving from place to place and I had other things to do.

As soon as we got here I started looking through my collection of old Phildar magazines that I brought to Florida with me and found this sweater called unpoetically "pull femme #079-T12-193", designer - Monika:

From this magazine:

They don't bother with patterns' names at Phildar design team, and they certainly don't promote their designers. There is something futuristic and mesmerizing in all those numbers and a T for a pattern's title. Anyway, I never liked this sweater before: it looks dark and short on the picture. Yet, this time I discovered that it was a rather interesting pattern, made from pieces like a puzzle, with a shorter front and longer back, and some nice ribbing all over, with thin vertical motives made with slipped stitches.

I made a small swatch using Rowan Silky Tweed and fell in love with this pattern. Monika  (sorry, don't know your last name), thank you! It was a very fast and enjoyable knit.

I described all the changes to the pattern on Ravelry.

I was very surprised to learn that my project is the first for this pattern on Ravelry. Poor thing, nobody liked it before! Pity, because this sweater is very flattering, roomy but not shapeless, and its squishy, porous fabric makes it perfect for transitional weather. And I love the yarn - its color, structure, tweediness, and softness.

Taking the pictures of the finished garment was not a small feat. I was sweating like a pig during all 15 min that we stayed outside (that's why I don't look particularly happy on the pictures). I have another finished project - a cowl - that we photographed at the same time because it was unconceivable to get inside, change, and then do it again. So here you go, my Oak cowl:

I took a pattern from Marie Wallin book Windswept and made a cowl instead of a scarf (because I think that cowls are more practical, that's why). I used the rest of Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift yarn, and it didn't disappoint again. And again, all the details - on Ravelry.

It was a fun knit - addictif, like eating pop-corn - and I hope that the recipient will like it. Which brings us to a difficult topic of knitting for other people.

You know, every time I knit outside of the house, I am asked the same question "For whom are you making it?" And every time I feel a little guilty answering "For myself".

Many years ago, when my older daughter was in third grade, I made her a dress. I put a lot of effort and love in that dress, and, as soon as it was done, I absolutely wanted her to wear it. She did. She came back from school and told me that her teacher complimented her dress. But looking at her face I sensed that she herself didn't like the dress and would prefer to wear something completely different to school. I put the dress in the Goodwill pile and stopped making things for my children. There is no accounting for tastes and they obviously couldn't appreciate my efforts. Since then my rule of thumb for making gifts is: I have to like it myself and be willing to wear it if no one else does. So, yes, I knit for myself, but when other people like my things, I give them away.

Usually August and September are for Christmas gifts. One is finished, and the other one is already on the needles. It is a sweater from the same old Phildar magazine called "pull femme # 079-T12-173", designer - Nadege. Here it is:

Again, no finished garments on Ravelry, so I will be a trailblazer (scary!). It is a short and sweet number, very modern and trendy (I think). Cables look haphazard but there is a system in this madness. I spent quite a while to get the system, but now, after unraveling it 3 times, I think I mastered ithe pattern. I started it while my pull femme #079-T12-193 was drying.