As in Tippi Hedren. As in The Birds, my husband’s favorite Hitchcock movie.
Anyway, I love birds and I’m a sucker for knitting patterns that feature them. When I saw the Swallow Sweater (designed by Maschenwunder Manja Vogelsang) I was smitten — it was an immediate must knit.
I started this while recovering from foot surgery; it took my mind off being confined even more than usual under Covid. The main color is Biches & Bûches Le Cashmere & Lambswool. This yarn runs thick and thin and my knitting looked horribly uneven. After wet blocking, it plumped up and smoothed out. The final fabric is soft and wonderful. The knitting looks a bit rustic but it feels fabulous.
For contrast, I used a beautiful merino and silk sock yarn I picked up at knitting camp a few years ago: Fangirl Hand Dyed Yarn Silk Merino in Black Purl. The Black Purl is a subtle mix of gray, purple, and green that to me mimics the iridescence of bird feathers. The color is hard to capture in photographs but up close in person it works.
The pattern is well written and clear, but it’s complex to knit. There are multiple repeating charts and extremely long floats. To mitigate the floats, I used Susan’s invisible stranding technique as explained in her It’s Not About the Hat pattern.
I made two small changes to the pattern. Instead of a crew neck, I knit a funnel neck with contrast ribbing. I lengthened the body with a curved hem and shorter ribbing than the original.
It fits beautifully and I love it. This, like most yoke sweaters, looks better on a real body than on a mannequin but these photos will have to do!
P.S. I’m glad your daughter is safe, Kathy. We are safe but devastated by the shooting that occurred in Boulder. We live in a different part of town, but Boulder is small enough that it still feels close. I used to frequent that shopping center because there was a nice, large yarn store there until last year (Shuttles and Skeins). It’s very sad and unsettling.
Perfection!!
Comment by lv2knit — March 21, 2021 @ 2:23 pm
Love the funnel neck. To me crew necks are not particularly flattering on anyone. The birds are quite impressive.
Comment by Chloe — March 21, 2021 @ 8:41 pm
Absolutely stunning!
Comment by Mary Mathieson — March 22, 2021 @ 11:18 am
Wow! The birds are stunning, and the sweater a real piece of art!
Comment by Nancy — March 22, 2021 @ 12:09 pm
I think that is the most beautiful sweater I have ever seen. It is breath-taking; capturing the swoop of the swallows perfectly. Thank you so much for posting; I will not forget this piece of art.
Comment by celeste — March 22, 2021 @ 5:05 pm
This sweater is a masterpiece work of art! I really love it and was amazed at the shimmery effect you got on the swallows! Just stunning!
I also want to extend my consolences for the Boulder mass shooting! My daughter lives there also and fortunately she had spent the day inside as the weather had been gray, drizzly and chilly. She hadn’t heard a word about it when I immediately called her after hearing about it on the 5:30 national news. She shops often at a King Soopers but I didn’t know which one this was. So sorry! We certainly need much tighter gun control everywhere!!
Comment by Kathy W. — March 23, 2021 @ 11:07 am
Oh Sally, I immediately thought of you and your family when the news came out of Boulder. What a relief to know that you weren’t there, although still so frightening when an atrocity like that is committed in your community.
The sweater is lovely, and your close up photos show how the swallow yarn perfectly captures the iridescence of their feathers. I was tickled by the coincidence of the designer’s name – Vogel is German for bird and I’m guessing her name means something like birdsong.
Comment by Pru — March 24, 2021 @ 8:41 pm
Gorgeous! I hope your foot is back 100%.
Comment by Mike — March 27, 2021 @ 10:33 am
Surly,
Did you post about this sweater earlier (maybe when you started it)? I know that I have seen the pattern before!
Beautiful job. Love the swallows!
Happy Easter!!!
Comment by Millie — March 29, 2021 @ 5:45 pm