Pattern: February Lady Sweater (an adaptation by Pamela Wynne of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s February Baby Sweater)
Size: 37″ bust, 16″ length and 13″ sleeves to armhole, about 9″ raglan seam
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted (100 percent wool; 245 yds per 100 g skein), color 133 (blue fog)
Yardage: About 800 yards (3.25 skeins)
Source: Yarnzilla
Needles: US 8 (5.0 mm) circular needles
Gauge: 16.5 stitches and 32 rows = 4″ in garter stitch, blocked; lace repeats are about 1.75″ wide and .75″ tall
Notes: This sweater took me six weeks to complete. Given that I spent much of my free time in those six weeks lying on the couch reading detective novels and vampire books, I think I can safely say that in normal circumstances it would have been a quick knit.
I ended up modifying the pattern a bit to suit the yarn I chose, which knit to a slightly larger gauge for me than the 18 stitches over 4″ called for in the pattern. I cast on 83 stitches for the 35″ size and then just kept going with the garter stitch raglan increases until I had 168 stitches at the armholes, omitting the eyelet row altogether. The sweater looked awfully small while I was knitting it, but it blocked to more or less the size I wanted (whew).
I used some vintage mother-of-pearl buttons on the yoke, and I’m quite pleased with them. I may need to reinforce the buttonholes, which gap a bit, particularly at the bottom. But that’s easily done if it turns out to be necessary.
I enjoyed working with Nature Spun Worsted, which is a dirt-cheap workhorse yarn that comes in a huge number of colors. I think I spent about $15.00 on this sweater. Can’t beat that! The only drawback was that the yarn was rather smelly before I washed it. I suspect that’s not the fault of the online seller but rather a consequence of the fact that Brown Sheep mothproofs this yarn. I would rather not have my yarn dipped in mothproofing chemicals before I knit with it, but at least the smell went away with one washing.
I picked this pattern because I thought it would make an attractive maternity sweater that I will still be able to wear after the baby is born. And indeed, it is a nice maternity style, but it turns out that after 37 weeks of pregnancy I am somewhat weary of wearing things that button only over the chest and then drape fetchingly over the gigantic baby bump. Not that there are a lot of other style options to choose from — one may as well highlight the bump, since concealing it is a lost cause.
Still, as much as I enjoy the baby’s exploratory nudging from the inside, I look forward with pleasure to having a non-globular stomach again, even if it’s a bit worse for the wear. Last week I thought of a favorite pair of pre-pregnancy pants and was swept with a wave of nostalgia. Likewise, it is with pleasant anticipation that I look forward to wearing this sweater in the more standard, non-pregnant fashion. Meanwhile, it’s doing a nice job of pinch-hitting as maternity wear.
Oh my gosh, that came out so perfect and it really does highlight your globularity perfectly!
The great thing about this sweater though is how it will still look beautiful post-pregnancy too! I love the color you chose! I also can’t wait to meet this little one, so close!
You and the sweater both look great!
I’ve been thinking of giving that sweater a try–and with the same yarn, too. I have a ton of that yarn from a recently frogged what-in-the-world-was-I-thinking-when-I-decided-to-knit-a-giant-ruana project.
Beautifully done! Love the sleeve length. And the buttons are perfect.
(You look great by the way.)
Great job. The sweater is beautiful and really practical. If the baby is a girl you can make her one too. However, if you follow EZ’s gauge, she won’t wear it until she’s two. All in all I think I like this better as an adult sweater.
Very nice Ruth! The sweater looks really lovely on you. Just a few more weeks to go before the baby comes!
Hi Ruth,
The sweater is beautiful as are you. I love the gray.
I have to still do my sweater over but I’m waiting for colder weather. Still to many things to do outside.
I only found you a few weeks ago as a blogger. I was looking at some of your older blogs and just realized you are Sheldon,s creator. Thank you for such a cute toy. My youngest is in her thirties and no grand kids. So the Sheldon I’m making is for me.
Thanks again.
Sincerely, Euphoria
Great, utilitarian sweater! Now and later – can’t beat that. I was hoping to see the baby bump eventually but I didn’t realize how fast time was flying!
It looks wonderful on you and fits very well! Great job! I think so far this sweater looks very good on those who are pregnant.
You are clever to make such a flexible sweater, and it looks great on you now (I’m sure it will later, too)!
That’s a lovely sweater!
It’s a great sweater, and you look adorable!! Will be thinking of you!!