Sweater Weather

Once I got beyond the sleeve divide, yesterday, it was smooth sailing.  I made it through the body of my nephew sweater no problem.  When I got the bottom, I added another feature, designed to aid in long term wearability.

A split hem.  Hopefully this will allow little man to wear it longer.  I’m also going to extend the sleeves, so they can be rolled up and then unrolled as he grows.  Hopefully he’ll get to wear this one into the new year.   Fingers crossed!

Of course, it’s time to knit all the sweaters!  Sweater weather is the best.  I’ve got a holiday sweater in mind and he’s definitely going to need a grandpa sweater for the winter.  Maybe something with elbow patches.  I love a good elbow patch.

For Throwback Thursday, I submit this photo of my favorite elbow patch sweater (taken 20 years ago next week, on my 21st birthday)!  You can’t see them, but rest assured, they were the perfect leather patches, soft and just the right color.  I loved this sweater…a lot.  I lost it at a blizzard party a few months after later.  I didn’t knit it, but still, I was saddened by it’s loss.  It was a great sweater.

Here’s another sweater with an interesting use of leather.  I spied it while watching Kingpin, the second best bowling movie of all time.  I’m undecided on whether it’s a great sweater but there is no doubt, it’s got an interesting construction.

 

It’s got the leather panels down the front.  They evoke a certain time period, which is what they’re going for.  This is supposed to be a scene from the 70’s.  That’s not the interesting construction though.  Those cable bands are what caught my eye.  I think, they’re an appliqué, sewn on after the fact.  The band looks rather stiff.  The sweater shows folds from movement but the band is solid.

The close shot really confirms it for me.  You can see the base sweater and the cable band are distinct from each other.  The usual tension you’d see at the cable row is non-existent.  You get a clear look at the band too.  It’s not even really cable knit.  It’s two pieces twisted together and then sewn on.

That is an interesting design choice.  Why would they do that?  Would a hand knitter do that?  No, I don’t think a hand knitter would.   I think it must be a decision based on industrial production.  I can’t imagine it’s a feature of design.  I’m going to assume it’s a feature of convenience.  What else could it be?

The longer I look at this one, the closer I get to declaring it a great sweater.  It certainly makes me think I should be checking goodwill for sweaters more often.  This would be a great vintage find!  Perhaps I’ve found my afternoon adventure…

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