April 2014:
I have been thinking about a sweater design for many months. In my current position, we are designing a device to test for MRSA, Influenza, RSV, etc. Part of the research includes the detection line of the test strip. After many (and I mean MANY) images of the various blue bead/test lines, I could see a sweater in my head. Namely, a gray sweater with at least two, maybe three test lines in the yoke.
I see it as a lightweight wool sweater, but I have not knit a sweater with fingering weight yarn before, so I am intimidated.
June 2014:
Fingering takes its time to knit………
However, I really like the feel of the lightweight sweater. I am working on the second sleeve and hope to finish with it by the 1st of July. The plan is to finish by the end of July, but I suspect the yoke will take a bit of time. The yarn is lovely, but two of the skeins really are darker or a slightly different tone than the other two skeins. Of course, I am alternating the skeins, but I have a slight stripping pattern going on. I am beginning to worry that the yarn is too busy for the blue “test lines”. I might have to hold off on the stripped sweater for a different main color sweater. Fingers crossed that it is not the case.
July 2014
Finished!!!! Ends woven, buttons attached, time to soak. By the middle of the week, it will be blocked and dried. I am sad that the “test lines” were not used, but the stripping nature of this yarn was overpowering…..
Note:
After blocking, the sweater more than expected. I think that the weight of the yarn stretched it more than the swatch did. I have decided it will be for my mother, so the larger sweater will be great for her. I will try to knit another for myself.