Of course, I've started something new, again...

This time it's not a cardi! A while back I had bought some Cascade 220 in a berry color (are we seeing a trend here?) with a purple/berry heather to use for hems with picot turning rows. (I just love the way you can add a different color with a picot turning row.) My idea was for a Saturday kind of pullover to wear with jeans. I went back and forth with design ideas, fitted, oversized, slightly shaped, boxy, scoop neck, V neck, jewel neck, raglan, set in sleeves, blah, blah, blah, and nothing was really jumping out at me in a THAT'S IT! kind of way. So the yarn sat in the stash, with the rest of the yarn in the stash, and waited. And waited. And waited. Periodically I would think about it and try to decide what to do with it - either a pattern or my own design, made up as I went along - but I wasn't really feeling inspired with any one idea.

The other day, I was wandering around Ravelry, as I tend to do, and clicking from one thing to another looking at patterns, and yarns, and then patterns that people had made with certain yarns, and then more examples of some of the patterns that seemed interesting, and you get the idea. Anyway, I ran across the Hourglass Pullover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and thought, hey - it's a pullover, it's simple, it's got some shaping to it - I should use that for the Cascade 22o. So I got out the book, got out the yarn and started changing things.

First of all, it was knit at 19 stitches to 4 inches, which I could probably get with the Cascade 220, but that gauge seemed loose and I wanted a sweater that would stand up to being worn, even if it was just worn while I sprawled across the couch and watched Star Wars with Caleb. I decided to change the gauge. Also, I knew I wanted it to be longer than the original design. Finally, I didn't think I wanted the bell sleeves. Bell sleeves are beautiful and graceful and lovely to look at, but not always easy to wear (and have you ever tried to take anything out of the oven with bell sleeves? Yikes!). Also, if you look at the direction sleeves are going now, they are being gathered at the wrist with maybe a little bit of fullness, but not like giant puff sleeves. (Someday I will have to blog about this horrible dress that my mother made me wear when I was little that had giant puff sleeves - as you can see, I'm still traumatized by the whole experience.) I figure the way to avoid the whole sleeve issue is to make a classic tapered sleeve - it might not be 100% on trend, but it won't be dateable and it won't be a fire hazard, and besides classics are classics for a reason.

So, knowing that I was going to change the gauge, the length, and the sleeves on the design, I put the book back away (it's a lovely sweater, just not right for this yarn). Then I realized that what I really wanted was a sweater that fit the way my favorite T shirts fit - nice length, fitted enough that I don't look like a 12 year old boy, but not so fitted that you can see the cut of my bra. So I grabbed a T and a tape measure and went to work. I'm kind of designing as I go and changing my mind periodically. I still don't know if I'll do raglan sleeves or set in sleeves, but I don't have to decide right now. At this point, I'm to the waistline and I'm fixing to start doing bust increases. It's basically brainless stockinette so it's perfect for relaxing with in front of the TV!