Sunday, November 2, 2008

And Back Again

My dad was a cardigan kinda guy, and for him, Perfection in Cardigans meant a shawl collar and pockets, so as a pretty new hand-spinner and long-time knitter, I of course made him one. I've only once made a handspun sweater for someone else besides him, which turns out to have ultimately been a mistake, but that's another story too boring to recount.
I used natural brown wool for the body of the sweater, and accented it with a stranded border pattern using all yarn from dog fur, various shepherding dogs' fur actually: sheltie, great pyrenees, German shepherd, and more which I can no longer recall.

I made the buttons too, using polyclay.

Unfortunately, one of the gifts my father's dementia gave him was the utterly irresistible urge to chew things. His shirts are all chewed through (my mom and I went through his clothes while I was there), as were the duvet covers and anything else he could get into his mouth.

The buttons on this cardigan, particularly the second bottom button, did not escape.
Fortunately, in my zeal, I had included an extra button, sewn into the side seam.

Now don't laugh.

There is the possibility that this could become a skirt that is retro/unique/cool/pick your adjective, rather than foolishly clown-like. I know I'm not Kathryn Alexander (I wish!) but surely, in some alternate universe, I could get away with a skirt composed of op-art hexagons?

If not, there are options: (1) overdyeing, or (2) fulling to make a bag or cushion cover or something.

I live in eternal optimism.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

option #3........denny will wear it.

Laurie said...

I'm impressed that you spun doghair as a new spinner.

He must have been a special dad.

Charlene said...

He was special, but I guess everyone always feels that way.

I was an utterly fearless new spinner and I would spin ANYTHING I could get my hands on, so dog hair was just one of many interesting fibers I tried.

I'm also rather against classifying projects or techniques or fibers as "easy" or "difficult" - I'd rather refer to them as things I do or do not want to do. If I was a brand new wannabe knitter, and someone had me make a scarf for my first project, I'd give up in boredom and disgust. I'm a big fan of going for the gusto, as it were - you need to be motivated to finish something that you start, and if that something is for example an acrylic garter stitch scarf, why on earth BOTHER? Make an exquisite cashmere neck-warmer or a fabulous chunky sweater instead, something you want, and would use or wear. That way you have an incentive to complete it. Plus the money you spent on the lovely, lovely yarn.

Cathy said...

Lovely keepsake.

Re: the hexes - it'll be interesting when it's finished.