Apparently I'm on a roll clearing things off the needles for FO Friday - I've (finally) finished a large commission project - the Gradient Sweater! (Photography eluded me today as it's been grey and raining here all day, so, this was the best I could do!)
This was a long-standing commission that, full disclosure, took way, way longer than I had initially planned to finish. I was designing my own pattern for this one too (the pattern will be published eventually, but that's very much a back-burner project right now), so, the amount of ripping and re-doing was rather intense. But, when it comes to commission work, I'd rather rip it all out and have it be delayed, then send something I know both I and the customer will be unhappy with (this is why I don't guarantee deadlines on my commission work. I could get right to the end of the piece only to find a mistake I have to unravel!)
But, it's finally done, and awaiting a final wash before it goes out to its new home!
It was knit on *6 mm circulars, and I needed every inch of that circular needle cord, since it was knit as one piece from the bottom up! (Any link marked with an * is an affiliate link, meaning I get a commission if you make a purchase - don't worry, there's no additional cost to you!)
I cast on the bottom edge, worked until the underarms, cast on the sleeves using a provisional cast on, then decreased the raglan sleeves. The hood (hard to see on the photo, but it's there, I promise!) is a combination of live stitches from the back neck and picked up stitches - some of which also form the button band. The sleeves are picked up from the underarm and provisional cast on, then knit down towards the wrists. The patch pockets are done afterwards with picked up stitches at the bottom and each side. The only seaming I had to do was closing up a small gap at the underarm!
The yarn is two yarns held together. The gradient yarn is two different colours of Freia Fine Yarns Ombre Worsted: "Blue Velvet" and "Mardi Gras", while the plain grey contrast is *Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted in "Cobblestone Heather." Holding both of these together made a very bulky yarn that created a very squishy sweater!
The buttons were a bit of a saga to find, but I finally found what I was looking for in these Wooden Toggle Buttons from Good Grief Yarn. I ended up having to attach them to the I-cord loops using a crochet hook, which was a first, but, it worked, and I'm happy with how it turned out!
Now, to wash this wonderful monster of a sweater and get it out to my client. It's large enough I think this might need the bathtub for its final soak and wash - I think it might be too big for my sink! (it's a 'hand wash and dry flat' situation, since neither yarn is superwash and the buttons are real wood - I only hung it up on the hanger to try and get a semi-decent photo!)
Honestly, I'm glad to have this done. While I loved making it, it was stressful, since it took far longer then I thought it would, which is never something you want with a commission project.
