Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate

I am taking a Sweet Sabbatical with my sister. At least that is what we call it. It means that we are not eating sweets and trying to cut back on the sugar in other things. This being the case I have not had Chocolate for a month and a half. The Chocolate Jacket is my substitute.

Chocolate Jacket

Knit in a beautiful dark chocolate brown merino, the Chocolate Jacket is a loose interperetation of the Shocking Jacket from Interweave Knits. I finished it last night just in time for me to wear it on a retreat this weekend. I just need to find the perfect buttons.

The beautiful shawl collar

The modifications I made where to knit this in the round and to knit the collar with the body. My shoulder width is less than the width that was called for in the pattern, so I had to heavily modify the pattern in order to get a sweater that would fit in the shoulder and the bust. I used the set in sleeve from Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. The collar I knit to the shoulder seams then knit around the back picking up the stitches from the neckline. I then Kitchner stitched it to the other side of the collar. (Can you tell where?)

This sweater taught me a lot of things. It taught me that I can take an idea and transform it to fit my needs and tastes. It taught me that I can use the Kitchner stitch for something other than socks. It taught me that if I ever do Princess seams in something again I need to decrease for the underarm so that I don't have a lot of fabric under the arm. It taught me to be bold and confident in my own design skills. It may not turn out perfect but who wants perfection. I also steam blocked for the very first time. When I have a picture of it on me I will post it. Until then here it is on the blocking boards minus the buttons.

This is the second of my selfish projects. I have one for every month of 2012. The next project I will be working on is the Oranje Cardigan by Ann Weaver and published in Knitty. I will be knitting this cardigan out of a cashmere blend yarn in a tomato red, black and pearl.

In the mean time I will keep knitting and learning and I hope you do the same.