In a desperate attempt to avoid adding to the acid reflux caused by my Virus Episode, I banned all television from my house last night. NO croonin’ or wooin’ or scrappin’ between the Boyz for me…
Instead, I pulled out and poured through all of my Guernsey books: the Gladys Thompson, the Beth Brown-Reinsel, Alice Starmore, Jo Sharp…
JO SHARP?
After scouring all of the above, it was in the Jo Sharp – Book Number One that I found this:
The pattern is called “Sheoak” and has all of the elements I was looking for – raised purl patterns, cables, all sorts of diamonds
(ahem, they ARE a girl’s best friend…).
I even have the yarn shown in the picture – Jo Sharp DK Wool in Color 327 Navy.
OOps, knitting a pattern in a very dark color? Not black. Almost black! What was I thinking?
Well, in an obvious boomerang reaction from the *simplicity* of the machine knitting I’ve been doing, my Muse longed for a complex, traditional, small gauge, WHOPPER!
And I say: “Serve it up!” There is NO EXPIRATION DATE on projects here at the ChicKnits Workshop. If this takes me two months (heeeheehee) or two years, I’m goin’ for it.
I’ve longed for a sweater like this for two years already (made into a cardigan, but of course, with different sleeve treatments) – if I would’ve started it then, I’d be done BY NOW…
Oh, it’s luverly…and I have a similar sort of project on the needles: the Garter Stitch Aran from ‘Men in Knits’, featured in an issue of “Knitter’s” sometime last year…My DH better not gain weight before I finish it!
i’m looking forward to the ribby cardi pattern because i just love the aqua/brown combo you’ve got pictured there.
I have to echo what maryse said- can’t wait for the Ribby Cardi pattern. Looks like the perfect new project for fall/winter (and I love how you always give such great alternate yarn recs to go with your patterns!). Thanks for your blog, I love reading it.
While the stitch details are beautiful on the Jo Sharp sweater, the shape leaves much to be desired: instant frumpiness, even on the model! But, who’s the boss? => retailoring in order?
I love it! I’m also feeling an urge to do a fall/winter sweater, something rustic and scratchy in wool. I know Jo Sharp’s yarns are more luxurious than that, but I have some old Alice St*.. that’s pretty scratchy… Love the gansey pattern, it’s beautiful.
Love the new ribbie cardie. It matches Kim Hargreaves new website.
http://www.kimhargreaves.co.uk/
WALLA walla – KIM! Love it! Thanks Erica! Can’t wait to see what my IDOL is going to be offering…
I’d guess something that rhymes with PDF!!!
About that sweater shape, YES! it is a terminally frumpy shape!
It will be whittled and tweaked to a body-consious fit – none of that boxy, drop shoulder madness – a perfect waste of good wool in my book. I get the shakes when I see the bulk collecting under the arms of some perfectly wonderful textured design!
Hi, Bonne Marie. If you turn Sheoak into a cardigan, how will you revamp the center diamond pattern? I’m seeing half a diamond on either side of the zipper/button band (I see zipper in my head) but it’s pretty much the focal point of the design. Do you think that would wreck it?
Although I haven’t decided whether or not to use a zipper, splitting the center diamond design in half, in my mind isn’t a mistake, but allows for continuity in the design…
Diamonds are repeated so often throughout the rest of the body, that they are more of a constant theme, rather than a focal point, IMHO :) And when the sweater is buttoned/zipped up you’re still going to *see* those diamonds…