Fourteen years, possibly fifteen. That’s how long ago I purchased the wool and started this sweater (since I knew it was before I moved in with my husband). I stopped watching TV (because we didn’t have one), and so I didn’t have the time when my hands were idle. Occasionally I picked it up again for a car trip or to take to the cottage, but as you know I now have another crafty addiction while at home.
My grandmother was a knitter, and we all had bulky cardigans from Mary Maxim patterns, but my mother preferred crochet. Fair isle sweaters were popular while I was in high school, and it became “cool” to know how to knit your own.
But thanks to the impetus of the finish-a-long, it’s finally done! This is my second finish of Q1, 2016 (goal-setting post here).
The pattern is Windows, a kit from Philosopher’s Wool Company in Inverhuron, Ontario. I have made several sweaters from their wool in the past, so a few extra colours were added and I omitted the burgundy-brown in the original kit. (Yes, my favourite colours are turquoise and purple.)
I decided to build the armholes and the neck with a steek (where you knit completely in the round, then cut them out). A bit nerve-wracking, and also a bit bulky on the seams. My favourite short person helped me out with the photography too, so you can see that there is still a little bit of snow in front of our timeshare cottage in Haliburton, Ontario. Perfect weather for a nice warm sweater.
Linking up to Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts for Let’s Bee Social and to the knitting love link party at Underground Crafter
Lisa in Port Hope 
Yay for a finish, and one that you still love when it’s hung around for so long; I knit many a Fair Isle sweater, and love them; your colour combo is lovely, and the setting just idyllic.
Yes, I’m sure this sweater will be making many trips to the cottage (although maybe not in August).
Congratulations on getting it finished!! It looks great 🙂
Thank you, it’s comfy to wear too!
Your sweater is gorgeous Lisa! It amazes me how complex the pattern is and how you did not lose track of where you left off with all the starts and stops over the years.
Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but it’s not complex. The navy window frames have a 24 stitch repeat that changes every 3 rows by one stitch, and the other colours are just random stripes, so I was never working with more than two strands of yarn.
It’s beautiful! Congratulations on banishing that long-standing WIP into a wonderful project. Thanks for sharing with the Knitting Love Link Party!
Thanks, it was fun to find a new link party with which to share this finish!
Love those colours and it looks great on you too!!!
Thank you!
I am super impressed that you finished this sweater. I should never start sweaters because I abandon them. The sweater is very pretty and it looks lovely up there in Haliburton.
I doubt I will knit another sweater, I will stick with socks, mittens, and hats, that I can possibly get done in less than a year.
Your sweater was well worth the effort. It’s gorgeous! Stunning colourway too.
These are definitely my colours, and now I think maybe I need to find a good hat pattern to match my new sweater!
Congrats on your finish. I have a lilac basket weave sweater, also from Mary Maxim that has been sitting way too long. You have inspired me to dig it out. I just recently heard about steeking but I am way to chicken to try it. Glad to see your post among the quilt blogs. Coincidentally my last several posts have been knit or crochet instead of quilting. I guess when your fingers get an itch you have to scratch whatever way they are calling out to be satisfied. Your sweater is a quite beautiful way to stop that itch and get the ultimate in satisfaction.
Exactly, being a maker is innate and it’s great to have several ways to scratch that itch. My quilting stash far outsizes my yarn stash these days, but I won’t give up knitting and crochet if there is something I have to make.
Wow! It looks amazing 🙂 If I did not have “that other crafty thing” to do I’d definitely take up knitting. BTW, Your favorite short person takes good photo!
Congratulations! It looks fantastic on you! That’s such a fab photo of you modeling it 🙂 Thank you for participating in the FAL, on behalf of the 2016 global FAL hosts.
[…] my best ever quarter in the finish-a-long. I finished the Refracted Quilt, Cargo Duffle Bag, and Windows Sweater. Then, to squeak in at the last minute, this shining star pillow (goal-setting post […]