Finally! I finished the Baby Cables and Big Ones Too (purchase pattern through Ravelry) before sweater weather is completely over! I wanted to share some photos showing the wonderful cables and the perfect fit (it does fit — yay!!), but my DH has to be the worst photographer on record. I am serious. Fifty tries later and here are the only two shots I saved:
And the “best” of the full body shots:
Yeah — that blurry mess is the best of the lot! Okay. Donations to the “Send my Husband to Photography Class” Fund can be sent to post office box…….
Here is Baby Cables on Lettie:
Baby Cables and Big Ones Too in Cascade 220, Color 4009 (8 skeins), US 6 needles
This sweater fits me like a dream — I cannot believe it! The sleeves are perfect. The sweater itself is a good length. All I can say is “whew!” It is such a rare and wonderful occurrence. But there is a reason for it.
I kept wondering why this simple sweater took me so bloomin’ long to knit! BUT — as I have always said — if you could knit something twice, you could get it perfect the second time around, and I did essentially knit this thing twice. I started with a totally different yarn and got all the way through the yoke and into the body several inches before I decided to restart with the yarn I ended up with. I knitted three sleeves….
I did the bottom band a total of four times! Once, as a turned hem, but I thought the sweater might be a tad short. The second time I tried a gerter border (like the pattern called for) but thought the knitting looked sloppy. The third time, I reverted to the turned hem and planned on adding a bit of length, but my gauge had changed and was sloppy compared to the original knitting, and very noticeable! SO, I knitted it a fourth time, tightening my gauge, adding the length, and voila! Two sweaters for the price of one. Hey, where’s my other sweater??!!??
But overall I am extremely pleased. I love the pattern and enjoyed making the first one, less so the second 
. What’s next? A very wee project that I will share in a day or so when it is done.
I’m surprised at how truly lovely the Cascade 220 is in the bottom picture. I might need to get me some of that! Nice work. 🙂
Comment by eightoclock — January 9, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
It’s beautiful. And the fit really is perfect. Re the photographer – at least he tried, which is more than be said of many (if not most.)
Comment by joanna — January 9, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
It really is pretty, Susan. I just finished a simple sweater that took years. But my reason was not perfectionism. Just procrastination.
Comment by kay-from the back yard — January 9, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
Absolutely lovely! I admire your perfectionism; it certainly paid off. I agree the sweater is a joy to knit. I am seriously considering a second one.
Comment by Astrid — January 9, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
It’s gorgeous though I feel your pain in the repeat knitting. You’ll still have plenty of time to wear it too. Isn’t sweater weather over for you in say, April? That’s my recollection from my seven years in the Twin Cities!
Comment by anmiryam — January 9, 2009 @ 2:59 pm
Well, there are worse things he could need to go to school for, right?
The sweater looks great.
Comment by surly — January 9, 2009 @ 4:19 pm
Wow. It’s beautiful and seems so worth the extra effort.
Comment by Wendy O'C — January 9, 2009 @ 5:26 pm
Really beautiful sweater Susan. It is very flattering. I was waiting to see how the garter stitch yoke would look on, and it is great. The turned hem looks so polished.
Comment by Marie — January 9, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
I am a tortured knitter who, instead of simply enjoying the process of knititng, reads your blog and is in awe of your finished sweaters…. wondering why it takes so many corrections for me to finish a garment. I had no idea you struggled with perfectionism too. Thank you for sharing your process. Your work is incredible.
Comment by Carol — January 9, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
It really is gorgeous and worth the pains you took to make it. Congrats!
Comment by Evie — January 9, 2009 @ 9:44 pm
It’s true, practice does make perfect!
Comment by twinsetellen — January 9, 2009 @ 11:29 pm
A wonderful finished product. Great color, great pattern, great fit!
Comment by kmkat — January 10, 2009 @ 1:49 am
Absolutely beautiful…worth every minute of “pain”! Love the color – congratulations…it’s sheer perfection!
Comment by Maureen — January 10, 2009 @ 2:17 am
All the work has paid off, it fits well and looks good. Nice and warm for this cold weather. Julie.C
Comment by Julie.C — January 10, 2009 @ 2:51 pm
Gorgeous!! It looks beyoooooootiful on you. 🙂
Comment by Romi — January 14, 2009 @ 12:55 am
The sweater looks great and I just love the way it’s constructed.
Comment by Angelika — January 15, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
Your sweater is wonderful….
I am a neophyte at using Ravelry. I had posted a question about making the neck smaller
but didn’t get an answer that’felt right’. Last night I decided to cast on for the smallest size hoping that would reduce the neckline – but didn’t get beyond trying to figure out how to put in the pm.
Today,I decided to checkout KAL for this sweater- and your blog site was referred to.
Thanks for taking the mystery out of this ‘simple’ sweater and confirming that I am on the right track…your diagram is just what I needed.
Off to finish the taxes and then to get back to this sweater using your wonderful help.
HAPPY EASTER.
carole
Comment by starknitter - carole — April 9, 2009 @ 12:07 pm