In college Walter had, and still has, a white poly-cotton cable knit sweater. At the time I think it probably fit him perfectly but 13 years later it is stained and a little too small. It's hard to let good friends go however, and Walter still felt this was an appropriate sweater to wear to nice family functions. Determined to replace this sweater I went on a quest for a new sweater.
I really enjoy spinning and knitting and it seemed that if I knitted Walter a sweater MAYBE (caps because most knitters know that when you knit something for someone else they never wear it) it would be so special it would join the ranks of the treasured white sweater and possibly (hopefully) replace it. It took months, however, to find a pattern that I thought Walter might really like. Finally in September I saw a sweater in a friends yarn shop that screamed Walter. It was covered in cable knits, and seed stitch, and was right up his alley. I was determined to finish the book cover illustration I was working on by the end of the month and to start Walter's sweater no later then than October 1st. My Mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said, "yarn! For Walter's Sweater!" A full body sweater runs about $50 and that was more money then I had to spend or that I wanted to spend all of my B-day money on. Walter's sweater ran about $56 and the yarn was soft, earth toned, and toned down; just what Walter would have picked out himself, I'm sure.
Right on schedule I finished the book illustration and started working on the sweater like a fiend. Now this sweater was a surprise for Walter, I was thinking birthday present, and that meant I had three months to get the sweater done and without him knowing. I knitted on the bus, while waiting for the bus, in Nordstroms while shopping with a friend, in the cafeteria and at Starbucks over lunch, under the covers in the bedroom while Walter played XBox in the living room, and every Thursday night at my friends Yarn shop.
I had under estimated my ability to do this, work, children, and the holiday's and Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays threw a few monkey wrenches into my time line. Oh! and about two week worth of work went out the window when I realized I was knitting the wrong size of the sweater, had to tear it out, and start all over again. By Christmas I had the front and back of the sweater complete but half a sleeve and the seams weren't attached. It was apparent that I was not going to finish this by the 10th of January. By this point I had quite a following of supporters wanting to know how the sweater was going and wondering whether I was going to make it.
We celebrated Christmas Day with my Family and scheduled a second Christmas with Leo on January 9th; one day before Walter's birthday. I had, had hopes of finishing the sweater in those 10 days in between but in celebrating Sophia's 1st B-day and planning for our own Christmas dinner it didn't happen. There was a collective sigh of sadness from my devoted followers.
I wasn't about to not give Walter his gift however, especially not after all this work. I took his white sweater, as planned, folded the new sweater up, and stuffed it into the white sweater. Folded it up, wrapped it, and gave it to Walter at 2nd Christmas for his birthday. Walter was pleased for a present, opened it, was surprised to see his white sweater, saw the gray-green sweater inside and thought initially that I had lined the white sweater. I directed him to pull the new sweater out and he was most perfectly awed and touched by the front and back of the sweater. I gushed about the whole process, told him about my sweater groupies, and how I still needed to do the sleeves. He told me he loved it and I was so satisfied; it was all so worth it.
It took me another two weeks to finish the sleeves, partially because I no longer had this dead line looming. When it was all together, Walter put it on, and it fit him perfectly; well at least it fit him like it fit the model in the book, which I took to mean perfectly. He said again he loved it and I totally took that to be a completely honest statement because he continued to wear it almost every day for weeks (it was a really cold and wet winter). It did tend to stretch a little but I think a good washing will fix that. It was an awesome project and present! Worth every minute!
I really enjoy spinning and knitting and it seemed that if I knitted Walter a sweater MAYBE (caps because most knitters know that when you knit something for someone else they never wear it) it would be so special it would join the ranks of the treasured white sweater and possibly (hopefully) replace it. It took months, however, to find a pattern that I thought Walter might really like. Finally in September I saw a sweater in a friends yarn shop that screamed Walter. It was covered in cable knits, and seed stitch, and was right up his alley. I was determined to finish the book cover illustration I was working on by the end of the month and to start Walter's sweater no later then than October 1st. My Mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said, "yarn! For Walter's Sweater!" A full body sweater runs about $50 and that was more money then I had to spend or that I wanted to spend all of my B-day money on. Walter's sweater ran about $56 and the yarn was soft, earth toned, and toned down; just what Walter would have picked out himself, I'm sure.
Right on schedule I finished the book illustration and started working on the sweater like a fiend. Now this sweater was a surprise for Walter, I was thinking birthday present, and that meant I had three months to get the sweater done and without him knowing. I knitted on the bus, while waiting for the bus, in Nordstroms while shopping with a friend, in the cafeteria and at Starbucks over lunch, under the covers in the bedroom while Walter played XBox in the living room, and every Thursday night at my friends Yarn shop.
I had under estimated my ability to do this, work, children, and the holiday's and Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays threw a few monkey wrenches into my time line. Oh! and about two week worth of work went out the window when I realized I was knitting the wrong size of the sweater, had to tear it out, and start all over again. By Christmas I had the front and back of the sweater complete but half a sleeve and the seams weren't attached. It was apparent that I was not going to finish this by the 10th of January. By this point I had quite a following of supporters wanting to know how the sweater was going and wondering whether I was going to make it.
We celebrated Christmas Day with my Family and scheduled a second Christmas with Leo on January 9th; one day before Walter's birthday. I had, had hopes of finishing the sweater in those 10 days in between but in celebrating Sophia's 1st B-day and planning for our own Christmas dinner it didn't happen. There was a collective sigh of sadness from my devoted followers.
I wasn't about to not give Walter his gift however, especially not after all this work. I took his white sweater, as planned, folded the new sweater up, and stuffed it into the white sweater. Folded it up, wrapped it, and gave it to Walter at 2nd Christmas for his birthday. Walter was pleased for a present, opened it, was surprised to see his white sweater, saw the gray-green sweater inside and thought initially that I had lined the white sweater. I directed him to pull the new sweater out and he was most perfectly awed and touched by the front and back of the sweater. I gushed about the whole process, told him about my sweater groupies, and how I still needed to do the sleeves. He told me he loved it and I was so satisfied; it was all so worth it.
It took me another two weeks to finish the sleeves, partially because I no longer had this dead line looming. When it was all together, Walter put it on, and it fit him perfectly; well at least it fit him like it fit the model in the book, which I took to mean perfectly. He said again he loved it and I totally took that to be a completely honest statement because he continued to wear it almost every day for weeks (it was a really cold and wet winter). It did tend to stretch a little but I think a good washing will fix that. It was an awesome project and present! Worth every minute!
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