Ok, it’s not the first sweater I have knit, it’s true. I’ve done 3 baby sweaters and a kid’s sweater. But this is my first sweater for me! Also, my first adult sized sweater. It’s really quite overdue as a knitterly accomplishment in my opinion, but none of my previous attempts made me happy and so they got ripped or postponed forever.
Radiate, done in Cascade 220 Peach, however has been an easy knit and I am fairly satisfied with how it has turned out. It’s not AMAZING! but it fits like I wanted it to and it is what I was seeking. A comfortable wool sweater. It was a really easy knit too.
I am still not happy with the button bands, but I’ve done them twice now, and I’m just going to live with them a while. I think I’ll try to put in a hidden 2 ended zipper though, because I’d prefer a smooth line anyway than just have the buttons all pulling and gaping. It’s not that it won’t fit around me buttoned, it does, but even having gone down several needle sizes, the bands are still just floppy. So I am thinking ribbon reinforcement and hidden zipper will fix it right up. Regardless, I’ll be waiting on that until I have worn it some and can see what I really think.
Other mods were making the sleeves 3/4 bell type sleeves by knitting longer and leaving out the decreases, making the body longer, and adding a line of crochet along the inside collar to help with keeping the neckline from stretching out.
The color is not really correct in these photos due to crappy lighting, but they are what I have for now. And it’s on to the next project! Hopefully it will be finished and posted about in May, as planned. :)
Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
If it helps at all the bands look floppy in the original too. My mother is a big believer in zips, I go for the shawl pin fastening. Either way I think I’ve knitted my last button band. The ones that I particularly hate are the ones with the direction “until it fits when lightly stretched”. How lightly is lightly anyway?
It’s a big milestone, the first wearable sweater, congratulations.
Wow the colour looks fantastic and I probably shouldn’t say this but I think yours looks way better than the one on the original pattern…! If I had only seen the original I never would have considered this pattern, but seeing yours has made me think twice……