Time for a Sweater

In September I signed up for the Sweaters That Fit A-Z class offered at Nature's Yarns.  I have knit sweaters before, but they don't usually turn out just right. There is usually something that I don't really like about the sweater, either it is too loose, too long, or the underarms don't quite fit right. I thought it was high time I figured out how to make a sweater that really fits me. 

The instructor wanted us to use a sweater pattern that was in pieces. I really like raglan shaped sweaters and I like to do all the knitting at once, so a pieced sweater was going to be a challenge for me. I found the Lapse pattern in a booklet I had. I didn't have any Lustra yarn, it's been discontinued. I did have some Bergereine in the Rotin colorway by Bergere de France which I had in my stash and I thought I would have enough. I got about the same gauge as the Lustra and thought I really need to use what I have. 

I used four of the eleven skeins I have for this back piece. That means I won't have enough to finish the sweater. Off to the internet to see if I could find this same yarn. Of course, I know it isn't going to be the same dye lot, but I really want to use this yarn. I found the yarn. The dye lot is different, but the color isn't too far off. I decided what I am going to do is use the new yarn for the sleeves. I have enough of the old dye lot to do the back (pictured) and the front, as well as the neckband. 

If you can see in the upper right corner of the picture, I am using locking stitch markers to keep track of every twenty rows and each of the decreases so that my front and back will be the same length from shoulder to ribbing. I really am liking the way this is knitting up.

The knitting has actually gone really quickly. I am about half way through the knitting of the front piece. I plan on knitting both sleeves at the same time, so that when they are completed I can start putting everything together.

I decided I needed to start finishing some of my UFOs and this sweater will be the first one. Then I can start digging out the other three sweaters and get them completed one at a time, hopefully before the end of the year. Too many UFOs! I will keep you updated on my progress.