"The Sweater"

 BT friend, choral singer, and accomplished knitter Kris Hoeveler recently wrote in to share the story of the cabled cardigan that's become a family legend!

About "THE SWEATER" as it has come to be known in my family...

The charming couple in their cabled cardigans.

About a year and a half ago at a rehearsal I was wearing a cable-knit sweater (shown above) that I had made from a pattern and yarn from Scotland. I am in a choir with Luigi from Brooklyn Tweed, who saw that sweater and commented on the cabling. A few rehearsals later, he made me an offer I could not refuse. He provided me with the yarn and the pattern for a man’s cable-knit sweater that I could make for my husband for his birthday. Of course, I was delighted at such an offer.

The pattern (Timberline) takes a full 24 pages including photographs, a schematic and some illustrations. The yarn  (Imbue Worsted) is the most squishy, yummy 5-ply worsted I've ever had in my hands. I had never seen a 24-page pattern before, but the complexity of the cable patterns and necessary charts and construction instructions warranted that kind of detail. The instructions are clear, and easy to follow.

 Starting with the sleeves.

As a seasoned knitter I was delighted to have the opportunity to learn new approaches to standard knitting steps. For example, the pattern includes a tutorial on how to do a tubular cast-on, which provides an exquisite beginning to the sleeves and the body. Also unusual; the sleeves are done first and are knitted in the round, so there is no sleeve seam, and I was able to become accustomed to the intricate cable patterns on the sleeves.

Blocking the body. 

Another interesting and different element of construction is that the entire body of the sweater - with the exception of the button bands and collar - is knitted as one piece, so there are no side seams to interrupt the cables, and all of the shaping is done across the back and both fronts at the same time. 

Showing off that stitchwork!

This sweater is time-consuming and complex, but also incredibly rewarding to complete. Overall it took me about 1½ years working on it in the midst of a major house move and regular normal interruptions. I am very glad I had the opportunity to make this sweater, and my husband loves it!

Happy birthday, Mr. Hoeveler! Enjoy your sweater!

(Your stories are the heart and soul of BT, and we'd love to hear more from you all! Whether it's a special moment, a new project with our yarns, or the journey that brought you to knitting, your experiences brighten our day, and we want to uplift the diverse narratives that make our community so awesome.⁠ ⁠

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