There comes a point in every knitting project – at least, in all those where you are knitting a garment – when you get your first glimpse of how the finished object is going to look when you wear it. A moment when it moves from the abstract to the concrete, from theory to reality. I have finished the body of the Big Blue Slouch and now it is almost a garment. More importantly, it is a garment which is going to look fabulous. All I have to do is press on and complete the sleeves, run up a quick couple of seams, wash it and start wearing.
As soon as the shoulder seams were done, I “tried it on” myself. Whilst, at this point, it isn’t possible to do anything more than simply drape it over my shoulders, I was hugely impressed. Sometimes things don’t quite match your mental picture of them and that can be a let-down even if isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the long run. No such problem with this – it looks exactly how I imagined. The photo of it draped on a hanger gives a suitably accurate impression of how it looked on me. Not only does it look super, but photographed before the sleeves are added and it takes on more of a cardigan/jacket form, it convinced me that I want to knit the matching poncho. If I’m to carry out my plan to knit everything from the Moordale pattern book then the poncho would always have been done, but it was the pattern I would probably have saved for last. Now, I think it might be bumped up the list a bit.
It’s lucky that I’m making such great progress with this because I have my next two garment projects taking firm shape in my head. One of them I already have the yarn for and I plan to work on it as we head towards spring, but it’s a make that I probably won’t be sharing much on the blog. Before I start that, though, I’ve had a special request from a friend. I don’t normally knit for other people, so this will be the exception that proves the rule. I’m looking forward to it because it’s not something I’d necessarily make for myself and it’s going to involve digging out an existing pattern then adapting it to suit the recipient’s requirements, so it may present some interesting tweaks. I fully intend to blog about my progress and it’s possible that I may need to vent my frustration on occasions.
I thought at this juncture it might be fun to compare the Big Blue Slouch with a more standard fitting cardigan. Just for a laugh. Maybe get a sense of proportion.
It’s a quick snapshot and the colour is poor, but it is effective. It has made me realise, if nothing else had, the sheer amount of work that has gone into the Big Blue Slouch. Acres of stitches, hundreds and hundreds of metres of wool. When we come to the end I might calculate how many metres of wool this project has taken; it may be interesting, it may be frightening.
For now, though, it’s back to the needles because the end is in sight. I can almost taste the finished object now and I want it so much. Just a bit more effort and we’ll be there.
Pam Alison Knits 
11 responses to “I said there was progress”
Glad you like it. Soo true about knitting a big project.
I’m glad to say my progress is continuing and I’m getting ever closer to being able to wear this fabulous design.
I love the moment in a project when it all starts to come together, and I realize I have a very special project. That is a lot of knitting so far, Pam!
Hello, it’s so good to hear from you again after your break. I hope you feel revitalised. This project has been a big commitment in both time and money, but it’s looking so good that I don’t regret either investment.
It’s good to be back, Pam. I do feel refreshed. I have missed everyone here.
Lovely colour and very neat
Thank you so much. It is really hard to do justice to the colour of the wool in my photos. It is so well-dyed, the yarn almost glows.
Great colour and elegance. That looks a LOT of work: you are no slouch!
Thanks – it has been a lot of work, though knitting doesn’t really feel like work as you’re doing it. I’ve loved working the decorative borders, in fact on the first sleeve I’ve got carried away and done a deeper border than the pattern calls for. I like it so much this way that I’m making that a “design element” of my particular cardi and working the second sleeve to match.
So much work! It’s looking fantastic, I’m so pleased for you.
Thank you – I’ve really enjoyed working on this piece and it’s a very strong start to my years-long project of making every garment in the Moordale Collection 2 knitting book. I feel I’ve got one last big push and it will be complete. Ready to wear at Christmas.