FO: The Leaf Jacket

You know, I just noticed that 9 of the last 10 posts, including this one, have bee FO posts. Now, a passerby might think that I’m some sort of speed knitter, but we all know that it’s just that I forget to post in between. Oh well, prepare yourself for another FO post.

Not long after I finished this top for the shop, I was asked to do another. I say it’s for the shop, and it is, but I’m actually being commissioned by one of the owners. She doesn’t enjoy knitting garments. She doesn’t like to have to pay attention to shaping and stuff, and she hates to purl. So she makes a lot of great garter stitch blankets and the like. But she likes to wear knitted garments. So, we are scratching each other’s backs, if you will. She picks out patterns that she’d like to wear and I’d like to knit. I get to play with yarn I wouldn’t be able to afford and make fun things. It’s a win-win all around.

So, anyway, I was asked to make another garment, this time a full sweater. I took one look at the pattern and fell in love. It looked so fun! I was glad to get started right away. Look at it, can you blame me?

I believe it took me about 3 weeks to knit. I would have finished earlier, but I got stuck on jury duty for a few days and lost a lot of knitting time.

On a side note, isn’t it a trajedy that you can’t knit while sitting in the jury pool? I mean, that’s hours of prime knitting time!

The pattern was intricate enough that I was kept interested the whole time, yet easy enough to remember that I didn’t need to check the pattern every row. I will say, though, that I would have rather the pattern come with a chart instead of all the written out bits. I think a chart would have been easier to follow.

I used the exact yarn and color that they used in the pattern, Debbie Bliss Eco. We have this at the shop and needed a way to highlight it. As it is, I’m proud to say that at least one person has come in and bought the book and yarn after seeing my sweater in the window. That makes me feel pretty darn good.

Pattern: The Leaf Jacket by Debbie Bliss (Rav me!)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Eco in green
Needles: US size 5 for the edging and 6 for the rest
Date Started: July 21, 2009
Date Completed: August 8, 2009
Mods: I didn’t change much. I knit it on a size smaller needles because I purl so loosely. Also, I added an inch on the sleeves because the new owner is rather long. I just added the inch right after the garter border and before I started the leaf motif. Oh, and I knit it in one piece instead of three. I just didn’t want to have to sew up anymore than I had to. Making up sweaters is one of my least favorite things to do. I think that’s one of the reasons I like to knit socks so much…no sewing.

Very much fun to knit. But I can’t take credit for the buttons, I didn’t sew those on. I left that for the new owner. Buttons is another of my least favorite things.

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Oh, one more thing, I’ve finished the revisions on the new glove I’ve designed. I’m looking for anyone who’d be willing to test knit the pattern for me. All you need is two colors of sock yarn and size 1 needles. Any takers?