I had a whole different post in mind for today, but then this Patons Honeycomb Aran pullover passed before my eyes and there was the deafening mental sound of screeching brakes, and visions of that scene in The Paper where someone actually pushes the big button to stop the presses. Despite its name, this classic fisherman-style pullover doesn’t have any actual honeycomb stitch on it. But it’s a combination of moss-filled diamonds, single braids and a panel of Celtic braided cables that gives a similar effect to honeycomb. Knitted from the bottom up, with raglan sleeves, it’s pretty much the perfect pullover alternative to the Amanda cardigan this #fringeandfriendsknitalong is centered on. And it is written for sizes ranging from a 28″ to 62″ bust. And. AND. It’s a free download. So if you’ve been wanting to join the knitalong but wished for a pullover or couldn’t get ahold of the book (oops, we cleaned out Amazon) or Amanda’s sizes don’t work for you — or all of the above — ta da!
Thank you, Allyson, for inadvertently bringing it to my attention. (And hearty congratulations on your nuptials!)
Since we’re back on the subject, I want to remind you that the first WIP of the Week prize will be awarded sometime tomorrow. (That’s Friday, y’all.) If you have posted a pic of your knitalong work-in-progress anywhere on the web this week (a Ravelry page, Instagram, your blog, any publicly viewable internet location) — hashtagged #fringeandfriendsknitalong, of course — leave a comment below or on Monday’s post with a link to said photo. (All you have to do is copy the URL and paste it into the comment box — WordPress will automatically turn it into a link.) I’ll pick my favorite and announce the winner tomorrow right here on the blog. This week’s prize will be coming from a little business I hope you’re all familiar with, Fringe Supply Co. — a bit of a shopping spree. So get those pics up and pointed to, post haste!
There are further details on that and every other facet of the knitalong at fringeassociation.com/amanda.
.
PREVIOUSLY in #fringeandfriendsknitalong: Team Seam vs. Team Seamless
Did you know that the Irish families had different “family” cabling patterns? If a fisherman was lost at sea, and later found, they’d know which family to contact by the pattern of the sweater…
That’s part of why I love them so much. There’s also meaning to the different patterns — diamonds are a wish for good fortune for the wearer, etc.
Wow! Stunning. Want. Can’t find it on Ravelry though?
It doesn’t appear to be on Ravelry — or at least not yet.
That sweater is beautiful!! Also, I’m afraid the “patterns for each family” has been proved a myth. Fishermen from that part of the world traditionally wore ganseys. ‘Fishermen sweaters’ were a recent development, aimed towards tourists — apparently marketers promoted the myth to increase sales to north American immigrants nostalgic about their roots. Alice Starmore discusses all this quite masterfully, with a lot of research to back it up, in her Aran Knitting book, even tracing the origin of ‘traditional’ patterns to individual knitters in the mid-twentieth century! A quick online discussion is here: http://eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/05/post_1.html
Of course, none of the above takes away from the fact that they are gorgeous garments, fun to knit and design! I remember instructions for one from an ’80s book, which began at the neck, extended shoulder flaps, picked up stitches from the sides of the shoulder flaps to work the front and back, then joined everything to work in the round for the body. So many possibilities!
I love this sweater! Know I am torn between this and Patons Must Have Cardigan…cancelled my order for the book for Amanda since it is going to take far too long. I still have time to figure this out as my yarn is still not here. This is by far the longest wait I’ve ever had for a yarn order, I’m not at all pleased with the wait.
Where/who is it coming from?
Here’s the Rav link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/honeycomb-classic
oh, that’s not quite the same…hmm. Yeah, I don’t think Rav has it yet! Oops!
Thanks!
That looks like a former version of the same pattern — they must be repurposing from their archives.
Yes, I think that is right. The old pattern version has a crew neck and a cross-over neck option, but it is pretty much the same. Their new photos for it are great!
I knitted this last year and I loved it. I used a mix of commercial yarn and handspun and it worked really well. My finished Honeycomb Aran is here: http://ravel.me/FilipaML/z0n1c
BEAUTIFUL!
Oh that’s such a great classic sweater pattern! Good find.
My “progress” can be found on instagram: http://instagram.com/nancoise
I’m at exactly the point you were at when you took that pic. Love the yarn with that project bag, by the way — yum.
It’s easy to see the influence Brooklyn Tweed is having — the photography from that whole Patons lookbook is very Tweed-ish. Clean and elegant and uncluttered.
YOU’VE SAVED ME — I wasn’t thrilled with the BT cable sweater I just cast on for, and this is the classic, comfy sweater I really wanted. Plus FREE — perfect for a broke college kid.
Excellent.
I’ve been swatching up a storm for this KAL! I started with Cascade 220 and didn’t quite love it. Then I ordered yarn from Harrisville designs, which took a whole WEEK to get here. Then when I swatched with it… I didn’t like how dark it was – you can’t see the cabling very well! So now I ordered yarn from Blackberry Ridge (http://www.blackberry-ridge.com/specwool.htm) which should arrive today or tomorrow, then I’m using that yarn NO MATTER WHAT.
I feel like I’ve been working on and obsessing over this sweater for a long time, without much actual progress to show for it. But I’ve got lots of swatching on my instagram!
http://instagram.com/wendlandcd
Swatching and cube decorating. I’m looking forward to seeing yarn #3.
All this talk of fisherman’s sweaters reminds me of a book I read last year with my book club. http://www.amazon.com/Casting-Off-Nicole-R-Dickson/dp/0451226992/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411660982&sr=1-1&keywords=casting+off
A work of fiction but loaded with lots of cabley knitting goodness, as well as the meaning of the Aran stitch patterns….which I find to be so charming.
Is it a combo reading-knitting club you’re in?
No, not yet but that’s my plan….only the other don’t know it yet ;-)
Can I come?
You bet Karen! You have a standing invitation for any time you are in the NW Hills of CT :-)
does anyone see any reason why this wouldn’t be appropriate for a man? It’s unisex, isn’t it? LOVE it!
Yep, I think unisex, no problem.
I think it could work for anyone — just mind all the measurements.
Oh my goodness, this is beautiful! It almost makes me want to rip out my own Patons cardi that I’ve started and cast on for this. Here’s my WIP: http://websta.me/p/816032875666881897_1202702
Same, only I haven’t started mine yet. But I am about 100 yards short for this, so I will wait until next year as my knittint to do list is longer than I can manage.
Love it! You are bringing fisherman back!!
Wow, that sweater is just gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing this! I’m always glad to see your posts pop up in my feedreader but this one is even more of a jem! If I wasn’t still working on my Stonecutter and the yarn for my Bray waiting for me I would totally cast this one right now!
I’m sharing the progress on my Stonecutter in Instagram under http://instagram.com/kohlrabibohemia
with the occasional behind the scenes video with bonus cats! http://instagram.com/p/tQbxu2DUPt
Do you also have it on a Ravelry page by any chance? Wondering because your Insta account is private.
Woooooow Karen you did it! This is the perfect sweater for this KAL !! Just need to find the perfect yarn for that project !! I’m so exited to be part of this KAL Yeah!!
Yay!
I hope my Opposite Pole counts for this KAL! My Rav page is here http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Crafty-Crusader/opposite-pole/
Since I can’t seem to upload pics today, I’m also at http://www.instagram.com/craftycrusader
Those are some gorgeous braids! Love it.
Almost done with my first sleeve, but too dark now to take an updated photo. This one will have to do for now! http://instagram.com/p/s75S5gCFYF/?modal=true
Such a pretty pic.
http://instagram.com/p/tY_3FQOZ37
Loving the Honeycomb Aran sweater posted today, had to cast on right away!
Awesome!
Hi Karen, Thanks for all the inspiration! Just finished this baby fisherman pullover for a friend:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/susan5/little-aran-fisherman
I’m getting ready to start this project and wondered if it would be best to do on straight needles or circular needles?
Thank you,
It’s worked flat in pieces, but you’d at least want to do the front and back on a circular needle so you’ve got room for all the stitches.