"Ranger" by Jared Flood FO

 Pattern: "Ranger" by Jared Flood

Source: BT Fall '11

Yarn: 8 Skeins Diamond Galway Heather

Colour: 620 Lot: 05533

Source: Romni Wools

Needles: 7mm 6.5mm 6mm 5.5mm
Size: 47" (4"positive ease as recommended in pattern)

Start: January 8 Finish: March 16, 2013

Modifications: Lengthened Sleeves 1.5" (Bad Idea!)

This photo pretty captures the great features of this pattern. 

• Lovely stitch - a slipped rib kind of effect.
• Nice orderly decreases either side of a handsome 4 stitch welt knit in sock heel stitch.
• Short row shaping across the back that is essentially undetectable.
• A cozy stand up 2x2 ribbed collar knit on four consecutively smaller sets of needles. (I like this size of rib for a large man's sweater - the scale seems quite appropriate.)
• Great fit across the upper portion of the sweater 

The knitted fabric is soft and drapey making a garment that's easy to wear and very warm.

Of course there's no going wrong (fit wise) with a yoke that eliminates the need for shoulder seams...

Except that without the reinforcement seams would provide both across the shoulders and down the sides a shocking amount of stretching has transpired... the length seems almost alive! The sweater''s received significant wear "couch surfing" over the last three weekends and more than a few evenings in between. As you can see below its become wrinkled down the back and sitting on it has stretched it as well.

The excessive sleeve length is all my fault though - 'thought I'd be clever and lengthen them to match another much worn sweater. The amount I added is very close to the amount they're too long.

Recognizing all this and appreciating the features of the pattern there's a good chance I'll try this one again in more of a workhorse yarn like Briggs and Little and probably without planning for so much positive ease (4" on this knit). If I do I'll work less length between hem and yoke to avoid the "seating" stretch this one has suffered.

I'm very happy with the buttons - a pressed leather in reddish brown and a classic style.

I sewed them on in actual position with the sweater laid flat rather than simply using markers and I'm quite pleased with the accuracy of how they line up beside the 1 row button holes (a la EZ).

Bottom line on this one - My Beloved has worn it a lot already and even if he tires of its increasingly sloppy size there's someone else who loves the idea of a great big cozy, over sized, blanket of a cardi...

Maybe they'll even fight over it! 

Thanks for dropping by!