Beatnik by Nora Gaughan FO

Pattern: Beatnik by Nora Gaughan

Source: Knitty Deep Fall 2010

Yarn: 7 Balls Berroco Remix

Source: WEBS

Colour: Clementine #3924

Needles: 4.5mm and 5mm straights, 4.5mm circular

Start: November, 2011 Finish: September 2012

Modifications: None - even needle size, recommended yarn and colour - worked the whole thing exactly as written! (2" positive ease)

This pattern/yarn combination took me over its lap and spanked me silly for being so smug as to think I could  whip it up on auto pilot. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Slap. Slap. Slap.

As in any all-over cabled knit there are numerous charts and a lengthy stitch key and it took me a bit of time to internalize the pattern and be relaxed working it.

On a couple of occasions I mis-crossed the odd cable. I ripped back to fix one instance, picked down without ripping to fix another. I expected that. But I happily and mindlessly worked 10 inches of the back before I realized my tension (or lack thereof) was yielding a sloppy, wonky mess.

This yarn doesn't stretch. At. All. The throw needs to put it exactly where and how it needs to be. NOT in a place where pulling the work to stretch things into place will have it end up. It was like working with those little commercial tubes of coloured icing. Move too fast or without care and you've got a mess instead of a pretty design.

That 10 inch penalty snapped me to attention and attention is what I then closely paid for the entire 4 plus feet of cabled goodness!

Now I'm wearing it, and its thrilling! I am Over the Moon! 'Love it, love it love it!!

Part of the reason for my joy about this FO is how a knitter today has to insulate the knitting ego from the non-knitting mentality that says...

 "couldn't you just buy that and save yourself a lot of time?" 

Ignoring ignoring such sentiments is the easiest thing to do but its nice to occasionally illicit positive attention from non knitters (not only the sweet men in the subway who comment their mothers used to make their socks too!)

Non knitters seem to have a collective expectation that if you do a wacky thing and knit then shouldn't you be wearing sweaters with cables or stranded colour work? Its like expecting Bikers to have tatoos or hippies, long hair. I've got the colourwork piece that lets non knitters say "Did you knit that" to which I can reply "yes!". They love having that critical eye for the hand knits! Now they can readily spy a cabled one on me too.

This all being a bonus over and above the fact the thing fits! Perfectly!

Nice narrow sleeves with a high, clean 7 1/2" arm scythe.

Shaping that keeps the look from being too boxy and overwhelming the wearer and for comfort, 2" of positive ease. It feels like I'm wearing the sweater, not the other way around which can happen on me with these kinds of knits.

The fact I knit the thing exactly as written - right down to the colour! - and I'm so happy, means I nailed the pattern selection as well. Rudimentary but I still find it tricky.

Finally it is even right for the current season (2 seasons after the pattern was released and a season after I started it , still it is burnt orange and it is autumn. All good!

Also good...and even a bit ahead of the coming season I finished the Twined Knitting Mittens I started back in May 2011. They were my last long lingering WIP. I'll block them today!

Thanks so much for dropping by!