Break's Over

Hope you had a wonderful holiday season.  As you can tell, I took a little break and it's been a little hard to get back into the swing of things.

When last we visited the in process sweaters, there was a Red Palm Bohus with the yoke finished and the body started.  While I was at my Mom's this happened:

This is the Bohus with the yoke and body done (all except the ribbing) and one sleeve finished (all but the ribbing.  I had enough yarn to start the second sleeve but since I need to spin a little more for that sleeve, I decided to wait so I could work the new yarn into the existing yarn.  I haven't done the ribbing yet because I haven't made up my mind exactly what I want to do with it. The body is really blousier than I wanted it. 

I just don't think I was ready to say done because there's every chance that I'm going to go to rip-ville and slim the body down some.  I was really hoping for a more fitted look. 

But at the time, I'd just done this heroic thing (it felt heroic to get all that done) and I couldn't contemplate the thought of ripping.  Now that I've got a little perspective, I think I'm closer to doing it so that I can get the sweater I wanted.  After all the work spinning and knitting, I want to want to wear the silly thing.

While I'm contemplating (and spinning more merino), though, I came across this pattern:

In this book:

 I went to the yarn shop and found some yarn I'd never heard of before called Stoccarda.  There were only 6 balls of the yarn, each with 82 yards.  The pattern called for Bear Brand Supra Mohair held 2 strands together, using 10 balls, knitted at 2.5 stitches to the inch.  I had no idea what the yardage was supposed to be with that yarn (although I now know that they were ***TADAAAAA*** 80 yards per skein.  Holding 2 strands together means I would have needed 5 balls of the Stoccarda.  See how this is all shaping up?


 I've taken the picture while I was in the middle of putting it together so I could show the interesting construction.  It's worked from side to side, as you can probably see.  The pattern is worked in sections to mimic the fur stole look of the time (1961).  You knit across until you get ready for the first sleeve.  Then you knit the bottom underarm section and put the stitches on a stitch holder.  Next, you cast on the extra stitches for the sleeves, and knit the sleeve section.  Once the sleeve section is done, you bind off the extra sleeve stitches, pick up the underarm section and work across the back.  You do the same thing on the other sleeve and work to the finish. 

Once you've finished off the final edgin section, you close up the little end, sew all the seams together and you have yourself a fabulous vintage stole.  2.5 stitches to the inch on US size 13 needles.  No time at all.

And, in case you're interested, I did have enough yarn.  In fact I only used about 2 yards of the last ball.  Maybe I'll use it to make a Russian-style pillbox with the fuzzy border and white top.  I have some Cormo that needs to be used.  That sounds interesting.

Actually, knitting this has given me all sorts of ideas for adapting this construction but I'd better get the ideas written down so I don't forget. 

I'm off to finish the other side so I can wash and be ready to wear with a fetching chocolate brown outfit I've got.  I think it will be just right!