Impressive Sleevage

One of the coolest things about sweater knitting is when you hit the point that it actually looks like a sweater, not just a giant piece of fabric.  The Gramps Cardigan is a bottom-up raglan, which is a construction that I really should use more.  Most of the stuff I knit is top-down, seamless, and if it has buttons they are worked in as you go.  This one is bottom-up AND has a picked up  button band and shawl collar.  I know this construction is also technically seamless, but it has a lot more structure than a lot of top-down stuff.

Even though I already have most of my sweaters for the year picked out based on my stash, I think this is something I need to try more often -- knitting a construction that makes me uneasy.  Who knows, maybe it will lead to even more brave attempts.  Like, say, colorwork?

I am glad that I decided to knit the sleeves before the rest of the sweater.  Made the giant swaths of pattern repeat a lot more interesting because I knew when I reached a certain point I could jump ahead in the pattern.  It was like this little secret in the back of my mind.   Even though I did do all the work of knitting the sleeves, it was like I got to cheat.  At this point everyone else has to go dig up more needles and knit the sleeves, but not me!  No, I got to just pull them out of the bottom of the bucket I keep my sweater knitting in and slide them right on.  The increase in wow factor in going from sweater body to sweater with sleeves is pretty significant.  Andrea was out of town for a few days when I attached the sleeves, so when I pulled it out last night to work on during Once Upon a Time she was aptly impressed.

Now to make as much progress as possible before the Great Cowl KAL begins today.