Dear Ann,

A while back, you were gracious enough to compliment my Buster sweater via e-mail after I left a comment about something or another on your website. In a return e-mail, I pointed out that the stitch gauge for Buster was the same as the gauge for the Perfect Sweater, and I floated the idea of offering Buster up as an optional “module” for the Perfect Sweater, so that those Perfect Sweater knitters who wished to could throw a little argyle intarsia action into the mix. You agreed that this was a good idea. I replied that it might take me a few weeks to get the pattern ready. You said that was no big deal, since one of the great things about knitting is that there’s no deadline pressure.

At least, that’s how I remember the conversation going. It’s been so long since we had it, however — like, since February — that I’ve already deleted all my sent e-mail from that period, and I can’t be sure of the details any longer. What I know for sure is that it’s been unforgiveably long, and I never did send you that sweater pattern.

You’ll be pleased to know, however, that I have a very respectable excuse: temptation arrived in the guise of the Jimmy Beans Wool pattern contest. The winners of this contest get an impressive amount of swag. How much, you ask? Check out the list on the contest page here. There’s a gift certificate! Needles! Lots of free yarn! Kits! Patterns! It’s enough to make any knitter’s pulse race.

Forced to choose between submitting the pattern to you so that it could become a Perfect Sweater module — and being rewarded with, what, gratitude? the solidification of online correspondence into an online friendship? — or submitting the pattern to Jimmy Beans Wool in return for the possibility of a great heap of swag, well. I think we both know what happened next. I sent off the Buster pattern to Jimmy Beans Wool without so much as a backward glance in your direction.

And guess what?! Buster brought home the blue ribbon! We had a celebratory photoshoot after we heard the news:

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Doesn’t Buster look pleased to have won?

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Yet he still retains his dignity, as befits a fine specimen of argyle.

My Giant Box of Swag is scheduled to arrive on Monday, and the pattern is now available for free from Jimmy Beans here. Since the gauge of the pattern is virtually unchanged — I did adjust it a bit from 20 to 21 stitches over 4 inches, but knitters are good at fudging — all the Perfect Sweater knitters out there are welcome to use the charts that accompany the pattern. All they have to do is center their chosen charts on the front of their sweater and they’re good to go. I even wrote up some tips for the intarsia-phobic.

I hope you’ll forgive my lapse in good taste and agree that some prizes cannot be resisted.

Yours in knitting solidarity,
Ruth