DIY Boden sweater

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Knit your own Boden sweater

People ask me constantly how I manage to blog every day. (Especially about knitting. In July.) You’ve wanted to know too, right — what’s the secret? Well as Tina Fey says in the slightly-better-than-mediocre-(and-that’s-all-we-hope-for-anymore) film Admission, “Pick up your pens.” I’m going to tell you. The secret is to be Open to the Universe. Also known as being a social media addict. Take Wednesday, for instance. I had promised there might be a new pattern on the blog this week, but alas, due to a confluence of freelance deadlines, impending houseguests, government paperwork and other circumstances both pleasant and not, the knits have not been photographed nor has the pattern (patterns — it also multiplied on me) been written. So what’s a blogger to do? Then in short succession the universe presented me with these things:

1) a tweet from Ysolda Teague announcing a new pattern for a slightly girlier-than-average Lopi sweater with waist shaping and scaled-down colorwork on the yoke, followed very shortly by
2) an Instagram from Sonia Ruyts of Stash Local singing the praises of the really very fabulous Boden fall catalog cover.

And voila, a DIY post was born:

Love that Boden fair isle sweater (above right) but want to knit it yourself? Ysolda’s Strokkur might be the perfect pattern. Knit a size with zero ease, or maybe even a little negative ease. Use a bold yellow instead of charcoal for the main color, obviously, but then the Boden sweater has four contrasting colors — black, white, red, and a tiny bit of turquoise — whereas Ysolda’s has two. So here’s what I would do: Knit the bottom grey zig-zag in red; all of the yellow in white; the large grey shapes in black; the main-color bits in our new main color, yellow; the tips of those main-color shapes in turquoise; and the upper zig-zag in black. For bright colors and a less-hot wool, try Plucky Knitter Primo Aran (if you can find it) or, again, the Anzula For Better or Worsted.

If you’re clever with colorwork, add a tiny bit around the cuffs and hem. And then maybe buy that cute Boden skirt to go with it.

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Speaking of Stash Local, you can now buy Fringe Supply Co. totes and stitch markers there! If you’re near Corvallis OR, tell ’em Karen sent you.

8 thoughts on “DIY Boden sweater”

  1. I adore this! Those colors are my favorite combination right now. I’m happy you included the tips too….because if I ever finish that Chicane, that pattern is mine :)

  2. You’ve saved my arse too! I was just saying last night that this very sweater was making me start to think about planning my Fall Sweater. And Lo! I also may have a sweater quantity of For Better or Worsted in the best yellow curry color. Open to the universe indeed!

  3. I’ve lost you!!!! My cup of coffee is bitter without Fringe Assn. You aren’t showing up in my email anymore. I didn’t see your email and got worried about you. Then I checked and I’m the one that’s missing the blog. Was it something I said? Please tell me what to do to get you back….

  4. Hey, I live just an hour from Corvallis, OR, so I guess Stash counts as my ALYS! (Almost Local Yarn Store.) And, in fact, I was there just a couple of weeks ago. I hope that they still have one of your totes the next time I’m there.

  5. I had been admiring Ysolda’s sweater and then drooling over the Boden catalogue but somehow never made the connection, duh! You’ve got me thinking now…

  6. I’ve just found you and your blogs have inspired me to knit my first sweater and I’ve knit for 15 years. Thanks for the inspiration and the regular blogging!

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