Craftsters,
For those who put up with me during the difficult stages of my very first sweater, it is DONE.  I'm glad to post the pics now, it's been alot of work.

Let me give some context here.  I've been knitting some scarves and hats and such during the winter, and really wanted to give a sweater a go.  My first attempt was a DISASTER - tried doing a four-piece number with some color and a panel up the front.  My mathematical plans all went wrong, it was far too long, the neck was misshapen, and I ripped the whole thing out.  I decided to make my own pattern from the 'proportional method' described in the winter issue of Knitty.com - with some alterations, new circular needles and renewed hope (and encouragement from crafsters) I attacked with force and finally - Done!

I'm going a share a few things I learned that helped me a great deal:

1) Write down everything you do, and make drawings/diagrams
2) Write it all in ONE PLACE, not scraps of paper - one notebook
3) USE A ROW COUNTER
4) BLOCK the sweater when done
5) Keep going until the end - don't stop and put it away due to fear that it'll never come out right.
6) Always knit ribbings with a needle AT LEAST three sizes smaller than the needle used for the body.
7) Don't be afraid of pattern stitches - they rock.
Come to craftster with questions, because there's ALWAYS SOMEONE who knows A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN YOU DO.
9) Use nice, flexible wool... one of the most amazing things I learned in this process is just how versatile wool is - when one is blocking a finished piece, you can virtually shape it to fit you to a T, and it smooths out the rough spots.
10) Stick with it, the reward is sweet.

And with those thoughts - My First Sweater!:


close up front


me in the new sweater


the sweater and myself, at home in Boston (note all the books and chaos...)


official portrait

Thanks all!
John / Boston xxx

Once again, you are all TOO KIND - and very flattering (blush...)  Hello all - been a while since I posted because I've been KNITTING MY --- off!  But, Victory!  I finished the sweater, and boy are my arms tired!?!?  Actually, it's been a fantastic experience - and do you know?  I'm all ready to start another - I know, I've been bit by the damned bug now and there's no stopping me.  I thought I'd be sick to death of wool by the end, but no, I'm already checking out pattern stitches and thinking 'hmmm....'  So, I'm posting the last photo of the sweater 'in progress and starting a new thread in 'finished projects' - you've all been SO HELPFUL during this learning experience, seriously - many questions have been answered here for me, and I'm sure I'm going to have tons more - so check out my final pics in: Boy Hero Knits Sweater!
love to all - John/Boston xxx



^ adding the arms to the body.

FINALLY SOME PICTURES!!!! -
Oh it's been a long and winding road - I'm only about 1/2 way done with this sweater I began ages ago, but I have some PROGRESS! 

Let me say this - I guess you only learn by making mistakes.  Well, I've made plenty.  First of all, I had to confess that my begining piece (the front) just wasn't right - knit up the whole thing, and then it just looked wrong, fit wrong, and had structural problems... I didn't take into account the fact that the guage can change so much as you're knitting  I ripped out all I'd done and started over from scratch.  This time, I'm knitting the project as a circular raglan self-made pattern (based on proportions - a great tip I got from an article on knitty.com)  So far so good.  I swear, though, that this wool I'm using is getting tired of being ripped out and re-knit.  I think it will all rest well once I'm done and I can block the whole thing.

Sooo - the pics of the sweater in progress.  Remember, this is my first, so be gentle with me...
Heh heh heh...
cheers, J