Denali Sweater

Back in August when we visited the Briggs and Little Woollen Mill, my Papa picked out a sweater quantity of yarn. It's their worsted weight yarn, called Regal, in the colourway Brown Heather, which is a warm brown with flecks of primary red, blue, and yellow; A fantastic colourway with lots of depth. 

Even before we went to the mill I had an idea of what sweater I would knit, and my Papa was in full agreement. Denali by Nora Gaughan, from the second Brooklyn Tweed Men's collection. And I started in the last week of November, knitting the cabled parts whenever I was home, or had uninterrupted subway time, and working the stockinette sleeves while reading, sitting in class, or during smaller subway transits. The whole front piece was knit in about a week, once I had gotten back to Kingston for the holidays and had several days at home.

Denali is knit in pieces, which I think I prefer in a sweater. In the long run, the sweater is less likely to stretch and loose its shape, adding to the longevity of the garment. It isn't that I find seaming overly fun, though I have come to like the finishing process more and more in recent years, but those few hours of effort are really worth it over the lifetime of the sweater. I once heard that you should spend as much time on finishing as you did with the knitting, which is obviously a huge exaggeration, but I think it does point out how patient and slow you need to be when seaming and weaving in ends. Consistency is your friend, when seaming. I finished all the knitting maybe a day and a half before I started seaming, waiting for good lighting and a large table space, to better my chances of success. 

As for the fit, I'm quite pleased. I used a rolled neckband at the top, which is quite squishy and dense, and I think will wear well over time. Again, take time to do the details which ensure longevity. Sweaters are not, I think, supposed to be spontaneous knits, in the way that socks and scarves and hats can be. Rather, they benefit from careful thought and swatching. I'm happy that I have started paying more attention to how garments fit into my wardrobe as a whole, in terms of colour, function, style, and fit. 

And I think my dad is also pleased. I think it looks fantastic on him. We had a five minute photo shoot in the front yard, trying to find appropriately minimal backdrops within the normal suburban landscape.