Colour Block

Colour Block is finished.  Ends woven in.  Buttons sewed on.  Bands blocked into submission.  And it is perfect.  I am very happy.  I would say even 'proud'.   It is a one of a kind, self designed and knit sweater. 

 

A pattern-free sweater with great design features both envisioned and executed well.  I say humbly.

 

I like the fit of the shoulders.  

Done via a combo of Suzie M's  & Ann Budd's Contiguous Top Down, Simultaneous,  Set In Sleeve methods, the fake, sleeve seam sits at just the perfect, shoulder-width spot for me.  Just one of the reasons I like to knit without a pattern.  The sweater fits me, not the designer's idea of average.  And just to make sure those shoulder 'seams' stay where I want them, I sewed some twill tape along the  'seams'.  

In the tape photo, you can also see that I have a back-neck facing.  Similar to what one might find in a sewn garment.  That was not originally intended but I did find that the  contiguous method of starting a simultaneous, set-in sleeve sweater gave me a very high, back neck.  It's a personal preference, but I don't like the confined feeling of a high, back neck.  To correct that issue, I simply turned down the centre back and  tacked it in place.  The turn down, right at centre back, is probably close to an inch but  grows less deep as it approaches the shoulder 'seam'.  

I like the fit through the bust and  for me, the first time use of underarm, bust darts.  

 

I simply stopped  increasing a couple of inches shy of the full bust measurement and then put bust darts in the front sections to get the extra, needed width. 

I like the feature of an off-centre closing with several small buttons placed close together -

 

 that go only as far the down as the waist.  

 

That allows the bottom of the sweater to swing open  - not strain  -  over my hips.  There is  waist shaping and I did plan for and include additional increases in the hip area.  But being a woman of a certain age, it never hurts to have a little extra fabric  insurance for  that widest part of the body. 

Although I call this my own design, it would not have been possible without the work of many designers who have gone before me and given generously to the world of knitting.

I thank Suzie M and Ann Budd for getting me through the top-down, contiguous,  set-in sleeve portion of the sweater.  I thank Deb Gemmell for encouraging the top-down style in the first place and I thank both Deb and Robin Hunter for showing me the under-arm, bust, dart idea that gives such a great fit.  I thank Chris Bylsma for her Kaleidoscope pullover design that inspired Colour Block in the first place.

And I thank goodness it is done!  Just in time to take and wear on our West Coast holiday.
Other blog post with more details can be found here  and here and here and here.