A Sweater for my Honey!

Last year, I started on a sweater for my husband. Knitting a sweater is a big project for me. The color must be chosen, the yarn dyed, the pattern selected. All of these decisions must be made with the intended wearer, if you want the sweater to be worn! The pattern was probably the easiest choice. My guy knows what he likes, and having sewn for him, I have a pretty good idea as well! Zip front; basic cardigan cut; pockets. No itchy wool!
A beautiful alpaca-merino-silk worsted yarn was the winner. Now for color. On the western edge of the Tucson valley are the Tucson Mountains. These peaks are not the tallest surrounding our city, but they are the prettiest. Dark browns, splashes of greens and teal, mahogany. This is what my man wants.

The Tucson Mountains

 This is what he got:

The shower yarn barn

Dyed, dried and waiting to be knit!

The colors really do evoke the mountains! To keep the colors flowing, I knit with three balls at a time. It keeps everything mixed up and prevented striping. The front and back of the torso are knit as one piece. This sweater design is based on a favorite hoodie pattern I have sewn many times. As a long time seamstress, to be able to shape a garment as you build the fabric is nearly miraculous! No seams if I don't have to! I designed the pockets to be knit as I went. Nice and deep, like a good pocket!

Sweater torso before adding zipper. 

Next: the sleeves. 

Start of a sleeve

I prefer to knit both sleeves at the same time. This guarantees symmetry! And the knitting is complete. You can see the stitch pattern in the above picture. It is a thermal weave, very warm, and interesting to knit.

Two sleeves: blocked

All that's left now is to sew the underarm sleeves and set them into the body. Back to those sewing skills! Oh, and insert the zipper. All the sewing is by hand. This is no place for a sewing machine! Soon enough, the sweater is being worn!

The finished sweater! Snazzy, eh?!

My timing was perfect. I finished the project a few days before our nighttime temps plummeted! It has been worn everyday since!