Something Old
I just realized that the titles of the past three blog entries have all started with the word "new" so I was inspired to share something old today -- the very first project I ever knit. Can you believe how fearless I was? Since I had taught myself to knit and didn't know any knitters, no one was around to warn me that this might be too advanced for a newbie. Also, there weren't any of the current skill level ratings on the pattern to scare me away either. Is there anything I would do differently if I were knitting this sweater now? Yes, of course. Mainly, I would have actually knit it in my size. All I thought at the time was that I wanted a nice roomy sweater -- so I followed the instructions for the largest size. It didn't dawn on me that a sweater 55 inches around would be something I'd be absolutely swimming in. Obviously, the sleeves also ended up way too long -- as you can see, I look like I'm missing my right hand in the photo. The gauge on the front is tighter than the back because I had a better grasp of knitting in general and those stitch patterns in particular. However, sewn together, the difference isn't really noticeable. Speaking of sewing, my seams are much prettier now-a-days -- although I still don't like doing them. Overall, it's still something I'm proud of. Having started with this, I'm fairly confident that I can knit pretty much anything I set my mind to.
Pattern: Oak Leaf Family Tree by Julie Hoff-Weisenberger
from Knitter's Magazine, Winter 1996
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Forest Green Heather