I grew up knowing that recycling was important. We heard it everywhere in the 80s, right? At school, at home, on tv. Don't throw out that plastic bottle because then a fish might get stuck in it and it will take a trillion years to break down! What I'm starting to understand now is that sometimes recycling is not about plastic bottles and metal cans. Sometimes it's about making strategic choices and not buying a plastic bottle to begin with. And sometimes it's about taking something old and making it new. It's taking an out of style dress to a tailor and emerging with a new shirt (made of course from your old shortened dress!). Which brings me to the chunky blue sweater.
My aunt gave me this gorgeous Rowan yarn and the pattern as a present when I went to graduate school. I had only been knitting for a year or two when I made it. Naturally I was proud of it when I was done and wore it a lot, but it was really poorly made--shoddy seaming, ends tied together in knots (!), sleeves built for a gorilla. But this sweater and I had such good times (and I made it) that I could never bear to give it away. It sat on a top shelf in my closet, waiting...
My aunt gave me this gorgeous Rowan yarn and the pattern as a present when I went to graduate school. I had only been knitting for a year or two when I made it. Naturally I was proud of it when I was done and wore it a lot, but it was really poorly made--shoddy seaming, ends tied together in knots (!), sleeves built for a gorilla. But this sweater and I had such good times (and I made it) that I could never bear to give it away. It sat on a top shelf in my closet, waiting...
...until January of this year when I ripped the whole thing apart and wound the yarn into balls. Which waited again until I could figure out what to do with it. Then on spring break while visiting my cousin in Minneapolis (a knitter and creative thinker herself),
I found this--Click here to see pattern!
Perfect! So cute! And it called for the exact same yarn, too. Now, this sweater took some fine tuning on my part--I am working with yarn that was dyed like 8 years ago, so if I run out, that's the end. I shortened the body, omitted the collar, and am shortening the sleeves (in progress as we speak).
That's where you come in, dear readers! Vote now for my reinvented blue sweater! Do you like the buttons here, off center, cardigan style...
STYLE A...OR do you like them double breasted? By the way, aren't those buttons great? I bought them in Amsterdam at this fantastic street market, and they too have been waiting for the right time.
STYLE BWhat do you think? Style A or B? Thoughts? I must know!
cuuuuute. I vote A, but both are awesome.
ReplyDeleteokay, i think i vote A also, but it's a tough call. and by the way...i totally forgot about that pattern! i'm so glad it's working out!
ReplyDeleteI vote A also. What's the pattern? Maybe I'll recycle mine also-the sleeves grew and it is also sitting and waiting to turn into something nicer.
ReplyDeletethe double seed stitch REALLY hides flaws in the old yarn!
ReplyDeleteI vote B, but then again, I'm a dude so...you know, I know nothing about this stuff. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI actually also prefer B, although they're both fab! I don't think you can make a wrong choice, here.
ReplyDelete