hermia

pattern: hermia, rowan studio issue 4
yarn: laines du nord royal cashmere, sky
needles: 5.5mm and 5mm
date started:11.02.07
date finished: 11.29.07
finished seaming: sometime in january : )

there are so many reasons to choose a pattern to knit. it could be a technique used, you just want to try out short rows or you must knit cables right this instance. maybe it’s the style, it reminds you of something you saw at a store or it would fit perfectly in with the rest of your wardrobe. sometimes you’re swept away with a trend, you’ve seen the design so many times, done in so many ways, that you just have to thrown your own version in as well. other times though, it’s just a feeling that comes off the page. the photo exudes some quality that you feel is missing from your life. that sweater belongs to who you want to be.

hermia, with its unfortunate name (I kept wanting to call it hernia), is far from being an exciting or super trendy sweater, but this exactly what drew me to it. it looks so slouchy and cozy. the perfect thing to wear on those days when just looking at the sky you know it’s cold. I instantly imagined myself sitting on the sofa with a big cup of tea in one hand, the NYT mag in the other, and my hair up in a ponytail that looks messy but at the same time ever so stylish and adorable. it helps when the model is wearing what look like pajamas in the photo.

this was extremely mindless knitting peppered with bursts of excitement at the cuffs and hem. I followed the pattern pretty much as written, which actually surprised me in two counts: I usually go for waist shaping, which this obviously lacks, and I’m a negative ease believer though this is knit with about two inches of ease. let’s face it though, after planning a wedding and working on two books, the last thing I wanted to do was think. I just wanted to take a pattern at face value and see it through the end. anyway, it wouldn’t be my sorta slouchy, hanging out sweater (read sack) if I followed my usual m.o. I love this sweater because at the time that I needed it, it gave me what I wanted. that and the cowl. the cowl definitely seals the deal.

the only mods I did were lengthening the sweater up a bit, using a three-needle bo on the shoulders, and using cashmere instead of cotton. the slouchy sweater in my dreams was never made out of cotton. cotton just doesn’t equate to cozy for me. I have praised this yarn before, but the lnd cashmere is one of the best yarns I’ve used. other cashmere yarns feel so limp and sad in the hank trying to impress you with their softness. royal cashmere holds back, making you wait until you washed it to reveal its beautiful hand.
I’ve been wearing this sweater religiously since finally finishing it up, a definite sign of a successful project, which makes choosing my next sweater harder than it should be.