We’ve talked about how eager I am to knit this sweater, St. Brendan by Courtney Kelley. It’ll be a while before I get to, and I’m also aware I’m in jeopardy of having done no colorwork at all in 2016 at the rate I’m going, which makes me sad! So my eyes lit up the other day when I saw Courtney had posted a free pattern for a hat version (“a swatch”) of it. If I had a minute to do that, would I rather knit the hat and have the fun of finishing something, or put those stitches toward my first sleeve? And if it’s some quick and striking colorwork I’m after, I’ve still never gotten over Kathy’s hat-sized rendition of Jón.
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PREVIOUSLY in Someday vs. Right Away: Cables, please!
I was just looking at the hat/swatch version of St. Brendan and asking myself the same question–hat or first sleeve? That hat would be the no-commitment choice and the sleeve would mean full commitment territory!
I was also thinking of colorwork hats as practice for a real colorwork sweater. This is the pattern I want to try next http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/grafixhat
If I am remembering correctly, hat as swatch for a sweater is a classic EZ tip. I tend to use a sleeve as a swatch especially if I use the same needles for the sleeve and body.
Same here — I typically start with a sleeve for that reason. (And to get them out of the way!)
Just go ahead and knit a color work sweater. If you knit a color work hat, you will be doing the hard part already – shaping while doing color work. A sweater is just more stitches. Go big or stay home!
I am planning to knit the sweater, it’s just a question of when I’ll get to start on it. It’s not a matter of hard or not — although I’ll note in case anyone’s confused or concerned about it for some reason, that with the hat you do the colorwork and then the crowd shaping. They’re not simultaneous.
I also have the St. Brendan and want to make it with lopi but as a cardigan. I am thinking to knit with 2 extra purl stitches center front then cut the steek, adding a 2 x2 ribbing. That’s my alteration guess anyway….
Be still my heart! I can do these and I can do them with my handspun of local sheep. I have only the most minimal of colorwork experience but I can do this!
Confess to be lusting after Nyla http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nyla for similar reasons! Colourwork and big yarn and no sleeves = quick fix…. (but pushes back the big cable cardigan I have the wool for….)
I love the look of color work. But for some reason I don’t enjoy actually doing it.
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