2016: I finally finished the sweater. I nearly finished the sweater and with only the seaming remaining, I decided I hated the baggy pocket bands and frogged them, re-knitting with significantly fewer stitches (43 I think?), then sewed the collar on, seamed, and added the tagua nut buttons I bought back in 2012 for this.

12/4 - Oops. I Read the needles wrong. #6 gave me gauge but I’ve already knitted a cuff in size 2, so I’ll do cuffs in size 2 and the pocket bands in size 3 I guess.

12/3 - Hm. Knitted gauge swatch of Peace Fleece-- requires size 5 to get 5 sts per 1 inch, which is 3 sizes smaller than the recommended size 8. Since the pattern says to switch to size 5 (downsizing three needle sizes) for cuffs and pocket band, I guess this means I should go down to size 2? yikes.

12/3 - Finished the Right Front. Reversing the shaping was slightly confusing but I got it figured out. I didn’t like how the buttonhole was explained in the pattern so I used instructions for “One row horizontal buttonhole” from Vogue Knitting, pg 204 on both the facing and sweater front for double buttonhole. For raglan decrease, used “Single right-slanting decrease: Version A” from Vogue Knitting, pg 44 since the way I Reversed the shaping meant I needed to change my approach (And not follow the instructions).

It occurred to me that these sweater patterns are similar to sewing patterns from the same era, in the way they both assume you have a certain amount of knowledge of the process and can figure it out on your own. This pattern isn’t hard, but I have to look up ways to do shaping, finishing, etc.

11/24 - Finished the Left Front. I think I did it right but can’t be sure until I sew it all together. I’m surprised by the facing that overlaps the raglan decrease. I want to knit the collar, or a pocket band, or a sleeve, anything to postpone the Right Front since the instructions basically say “reverse what you did on the left, and here are instructions for buttonholes.”

11/23 - Took some time off to do thoughtless sock knitting. Came back to it after finishing the pocket opening and starting the raglan arm decrease. I had some issues trying to decipher the number of increases and decreases around the facing. Here’s how I think I’ve solved it in a forum post. A chart would be useful but I’m not going to bother. Also, I got the contrasting yarn for my collar, cuffs and pocket bands!

11/5 - Started pocket opening shaping. Used the left-leaning increase “make one: version b” from Vogue Knitting pg 29.

11/3 - Finished the back after taking nearly a week off. Bound off at neckline edge with basic knit bind-off, referenced from pg. 47 of Vogue Knitting. Wasn’t sure if I needed something flexible so I just used the default/standard. Cast on with the double cast-on (Norwegian cast-on) for Left Front, then after knitting an inch and then purling a row for the hemline, added 29 more stitches with a basic 2 needle cast-on (called knitting-on on pg 26 of Vogue Knitting). Stopped by the yarn store to decide on the contrast yarn for collar, cuffs and pocket edge but didn’t find exactly what I wanted. Ordered 2 skeins of Ancient Fern colorway of Peace Fleece. Fingers crossed that it arrives soon so I don’t have to interrupt my flow!

10/20 - Knitted gauge swatch of the Perendale on recommended size 8 needles and was off. Went down to size 7 needles. Knitted a few inches and decided the size 16 seemed too big, ripped out and started knitting size 14. Cast on with the Double cast-on (pg 25 vogue knitting).