I can’t blame the bathing suit for how I look in it. I do not contribute to the overall look in a positive way. That can also be said for one of my recent FOs. It looked so cute in the magazine:
Winter Vogue 2011, design #25
It is supposed to be very wide and cropped. The word “cropped” should have tipped me off that this style just might not be right for me, but I said, “What the hey,” and proceeded onward.
I had some charcoal gray Lopi in stash — pretty much enough to make the sweater and the same gauge/yarn type to boot. That made this a FREE sweater (even better).
Once I started the thing, I kept having second thoughts. But onward I went. With the chunky yarn and size 10-1/2 needles, it was a quick knit, so I kept knitting … until the doubts hit me again. Then I would throw it in a bag, and give up…only to drag it out again and continue. Over and over I did this, but yet I persevered. Why? I don’t know, because the doubts were always there. Had the VK 360 view been available prior to starting this project, I may have saved myself some trouble…
I finished it, buttons and all.
It just looks ridiculous on me. I need to lose 30 years and as many pounds to look good in this sweater. My husband said, “It’s cute, but it’s about 5 inches too short — do you have any more yarn?” Uh, no.
They can’t all be keepers!!
PS — Happy Groundhog Day! Don’t you love that movie? I watched it tonight.
PS2 — in response to those who recommended layering: been there, tried that. With long tees of several colors and shirts. Not so good.
Oh, I hate when that happens! It sure looks cute on the dress form- cropped but cute. Any chance you could wear it with a grey turtleneck or tee, like the VK model with a matching brown one, and then it would visually lengthen? Or, may be time to gift it to daugher or niece?
I love this rich grey!
Comment by Trista — February 3, 2011 @ 3:16 am
I have that sweater marked, but I was thinking I needed to lengthen it – thanks for the confirmation!!
Comment by Sandra — February 3, 2011 @ 9:35 am
It is a cute sweater. On the size 0 model and on the form. But when the photo stylist feels the need to add a similar color top under the sweater to lengthen the view, you know there’s a problem. You could probably have gotten away with it, even in the back, if that rib & cable weren’t pointing straight at your tush.
The grey is luscious. (Any discussion of grey reminds me of an episode of the sit-com “The Jeffersons,” in which the English next door neighbor tells them that he’s “painting the kitchen a nice, zippy battleship grey.” Well … yeah … I’ve come to think of grey as nice and zippy.)
Comment by Suzan — February 3, 2011 @ 10:30 am
First, it’s beautiful. Second, shorter sweaters are meant to be layered as shown. Have you tried it on with a longer gray long sleeved tee shirt?
Comment by rudeek — February 3, 2011 @ 12:45 pm
Lose the sleeves and turn it into a long waistcoat?
Comment by LOWL — February 3, 2011 @ 1:53 pm
You CAN blame the swimsuit AND its designer. That thing is not going to look good on anyone. It’s badly designed.
Comment by victoria — February 3, 2011 @ 3:36 pm
I don’t think there are too many of us who can pull off cropped and dropped (cropped sweaters and dropped shoulders). But! Your knitting is exceptional, and you did create a beautiful sweater, regardless of how it looks on you. If that helps. I would have fallen for that cable detail on the back of the sweater, too.
Comment by Kim — February 3, 2011 @ 4:08 pm
Don’t give up yet. Try something underneath with fullness to it. Do you have anything like that in your closet? If you do and it doesn’t work, try it open. Or add a soft brown scarf (I think you look good in brown for some reason, maybe with white polka dots) Remember, a tall model modeled this once, and the stylist made it work for the picture. If this was off the rack, I wouldn’t recommend such perseverance but you spent a LOT OF TIME on this thing. Give it every chance you can. Good luck!
Comment by Chloe — February 3, 2011 @ 5:35 pm
Your workmanship is beautiful as always, but I don’t think cropped, dropped shoulders every did anyone any favors. I am always amazed at the “designs” these designers submit – not at all flattering and not particularly interesting. Sounds like a candidate for the frog pond to me.
Comment by Gauss — February 3, 2011 @ 7:00 pm
I agree with you completely. They cropped look is great on my nieces but not so much on me. I pass on every pattern I see. Love the grey yarn though.
Comment by Beverly — February 3, 2011 @ 7:34 pm
Lovely knitting, even if not for you!
I love the cropped look, but am more of a tunic-type, bodywise.
Comment by quinn — February 3, 2011 @ 8:59 pm
Bad pattern. Tricking you like that. It does look good.
Comment by Carrie#K — February 3, 2011 @ 9:35 pm
Someone – a very lucky someone – will enjoy this gift very much, will feel special, and look great. And don’t forget it was “free”. That might be my favorite part of this blog entry………
Comment by Pat — February 4, 2011 @ 12:01 am
This really looks beautiful on your site – your knitting is gorgeous! It seems that there are a lot of good suggestions to try before giving up on it for yourself. Otherwise, some very, very lucky person is going to get a beautiful gift!
Comment by Barb — February 4, 2011 @ 8:44 am
wondering why you changed the button band, the vertical look of the original lengthens the crop, to the eye anyway. I’m not a big fan of reverse stockinette either, it also makes the eyes see wide instead of long. So not criticizing, I’m in awe of your talent and abilities,
Comment by Janetc — February 4, 2011 @ 12:44 pm
Such beautiful yarn, such beautiful knitting.
Well, that luscious Lopi is darn itchy anyway!
Comment by Susan — February 4, 2011 @ 12:47 pm
I finished my, from stash also, vogue #25 out of Tahki Soho tweed (when my husband mentioned “parade float” upon seeing the beautiful magenta tweed, I should have stopped right there). ^Too quick, too good to be true. And really too terrible for me. And I had just said I was going to very carefully look at all patterns to see how they were going to fit and fall on my very own shape. Oh well.
Comment by Charlotte — February 4, 2011 @ 7:42 pm