Berkshire pullover

I finished last year's Christmas present for Pete this week.

It's the Berkshire pullover from Melanie Falick's book Weekend Knitting: 50 Unique Projects and Ideas. I'm guessing the "weekend" in the title refers to pre-children weekends, the ones where you can sleep until ten, meet friends for brunch at Sophie's Cosmic Cafe, spend the afternoon reading the paper, and then do dinner and a show. You could use one of those weekends of leisure to be productive and make turtleneck egg cozies or a lap blanket. If you have children, disregard the "weekend" part of the title.

The wool is Morehouse merino, bulky weight. It's undyed, from black sheep grazing in the Hudson River Valley of New York state, faded to a chocolate brown by the sun. There are bits of straw stuck to the fibres, and it smells like farm country in all the right ways.

I usually knit for my kids, who are very forgiving of imperfect fit. Unfortunately, an ill-fitting hand knitted garment on a grown man does not look charming, it looks pathetic. So I had to custom size this sweater, and ended up rewriting the entire pattern.

I'm pleased with the end result. And equally pleased to be done with it.

Comments

[Diana]

has pete ever considered a career in modeling?

looks great! My mom is frantically knitting up a storm trying to finish sweaters for all her grandkids by Christmas! She'll have carpal tunnel by Boxing day!

[Sheri]

oops that comment was from me

[Mom S]

Looks great Martina! Good looking model!

[Kurt]

Pete, you look like a Sears model.

ps. Martina, you weren't indirectly referring to us with the "Cosmic Cafe" comment where you? Lianne and I just got back from the show and were about to have a nightcap when we read this and, well, we're convinced that was a poke at the couple who "chose" not to have kids.

[Kurt]

Sorry, a holt renfrew model with a @#&$! fine sweater.

[Dee]

The sweater is absolutely beautiful Martina! Well worth the wait by the looks of it...indeed it makes my fingers itchy in all good ways to get into knitting.

[Peter Jay]

I just happened to be leaning against that tree studying the progress of a crawling newt when Martina appeared, clicking madly and saying, "yeah, baby, yeeahh!!

Kurt -- I think she was talking about our former life although I remember it more as Slickity Jim's Chat 'n Chew than Sophie's.

[Martina]

No, the Sophie's reference was to the true life of leisure, pre-kids and pre-Pete: university days! We would take public transit from TWU to have brunch at Sophie's.

But Kurt, if the shoe fits . . .

[Martina]

Dee, why don't you pass the time waiting for your baby by knitting a layette? In pink! I'm confident you can choose pink.

[Crista]

The sweater looks fantastic - equally as impressive as your perseverance! What's the next project?

[Martina]

Next project: finishing that vest for myself, also from last winter. I have no idea why I started two adult-sized projects last year. After the vest, something fun and small. Legwarmers for Ariana, maybe?

Now that the knitting group has folded, have you picked up your needles this season, Crista?

[Janice Veenman]

Hey Martina,
Great sweater, not sure about the model.
BTW is the left sleeve longer than the right?
Love you guys, Janice

[Lynn]

Impressive skills: knitting and catalogue photography too!