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.