I want to state this very plainly in the first sentence of this post: I did not knit this sweater. I can’t even tell you who did knit it because, while it is authentically hand-knit, it was purchased at Banana Republic, of all places, sometime in late 2009. I know it was that year because I had just started a job at Salon (for the second time) and had a coworker named Kathy who was instantly intent on copying it, while I, being a non-knitter, was utterly floored by the suggestion. She might as well have told me she could copy the Great Pyramid of Giza. (“How … how would you …?!” “It’s a pretty simple design. And those stitches are so big I could just count ’em up.” “But how would you even know how much yarn to get?” “Well I’d just weigh the sweater.”)
It’s funny how mind-boggling that seemed to me then, when it’s so straightforward now. She told me if I’d let her have it for a week, she’d be able to figure it all out and she’d knit me more of them, in my choice of colors, if I bought the yarn. (BR had made a limited number of them, and only in this lovely grey.) I never took her up on it, and always told myself it was because I couldn’t bear to part with it for any amount of time. (I wore it over everything that winter.) But in reality it was one of two things in my closet that were compelling me to learn to knit, and I think some part of me wanted to be the one to figure it out. Someday.
I still haven’t done that, but I keep telling you there are these two things that made me want to knit — especially knowing people could make stuff up using only their eyeballs, brains and a kitchen scale — and so I’m finally showing you this one.
The other item, coincidentally, is also from Banana Republic. Which is funny because I’ve probably bought four things at BR in the past fifteen years. It’s a massive, very simple but incredibly chic shawl, which is at least a dozen years old and is starting to look it. That one I am definitely doing a pattern for. So expect it sometime soon.
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Meanwhile, the winner of the Stadium and Whichaway Giveaway is blithespirit. Thanks so much to everyone who participated! I didn’t make paying me a compliment a part of the requirements and was blown away by all the kind remarks. I’m really happy so many of you love those patterns.