Homemade Friday: Spring Lines*

In spite of the name of the sweater pattern, Spring Lines, it is decidedly un-spring-like outside.  We're having our first good snow of the season, even more than during the POLAR VORTEX last week.

And that was my main reason for trying like hell to finish this ridiculously long sweater.  Because I was cold.

This is what happens when you try to snap
a couple of photos while your children are
playing in the snow.

I'm not sure when I actually began knitting on it because I have become very lax in taking knitting notes on account of that cuts into my knitting time.  But I think it was in late fall.  I finished on the second-coldest day of the POLAR VORTEX so I was good.  And then I remembered that winter had just started.  And while we do have relatively mild winters when you compare us to Maine and Canada and other places I would like to visit if only to have more excuses to wear handknits, there were still cold days ahead.  Like today where layers and wool sweaters are a must. 

I conned my husband into taking some photos
on his lunch break.  He was thrilled, as usual.

My daughter is currently wearing this sweater I knit for Sebastian two years ago.  (Look at my Baby Babash!!!)  I didn't even attempt to put a sweater on Sebastian as he doesn't seem to be all that fond of handknits.  He does, however, regularly wear the snowflake hat I knit him in the fall.  So that's something.  My husband, also, is wearing a sweater I made for him.  It's only the third one I've made, and the only one he'll actually wear.  I made it almost 10 years ago, actually.  So I guess it's held up well.  Have I told you about it?  I can't seem to find a picture of him wearing it but I feel like I've shared it with you before.  So just imagine a plain wool raglan sweater.

I picked out this pattern because I wanted a big, cozy sweater and this one just so happened to have pockets, which as we all know is the best thing ever to have on shirts and sweaters and dresses and skirts and aprons and anything else you can put one one. 

The pattern was fairly straight forward.  It was top down, which I'm not usually fond of because I can't ever get the neck to look right.  And I do have a bit of concerns about this one, but not enough to take it apart (again - I've already tried to improve it once).  So for now it is what it is - a big, cozy sweater with pockets that is perfect for snow days. 

I first wanted to make the pockets a bright color, and settled on this leftover pink from the neverending socks from 2012.  And I knit one, having my doubts the entire time.

There was something vaguely ... anatomical about it.  Here's a picture of the pocket as it is now:

Now imagine that it's bright pink:

Do you see?  Can you imagine?  Maybe it's just me.  And my husband, who giggled like a 12 year old when I showed him.

So the pink was ripped out to be replaced by a nice, safe, boring beige.  And I'm okay with that.

I have sort-of plans to knit a leaf lace pattern to sew up the middle of the sweater to create some kind of design as now it's just a large brown sweater.  I've started it, but I'm not entirely sure I'll finish, or when I'll finish.  I've got lots of other stuff I want to knit - including another sweater that Christopher will wear.  I'm determined to find one.  So I don't know if I'll take the time for pretty, frilly details.  Maybe in the summer.

Yarn is Knit Picks City Tweed Aran in Tabby, which seems to be discontinued.    It's warm and soft and seems to be durable.

I accidentally made the sleeves a bit too short, but I've actually discovered that I like them this length.  They end just a little bit above my wrists.  They're not 3/4 sleeves, which would kind of defeat the purpose of having a wool sweater in my book because I would get cold.  But they're also not so long that they cover my hands and get in my way.  So maybe from now on this will be the length I go with.

I also made the sweater quite a bit longer than the pattern.  I almost went longer to make a dress, but decided I'd had enough and it was getting a little boring.

I'm posing like this because Chris told me
I was going to be in a magazine.  Liar.

Now if you'll excuse me I have one kid in her room 'napping' and the other one, who's on a snow day, watching Scooby Doo.  It seems like the perfect time to read a bit and work on some socks I've been meaning to finish.
 
 *Alternate title: What has it got in its pocketses?**

**I'm a dork