Revisited: Blaze
The one topic that I feel could use more blog-time is how people feel about their knits after they've worn them for a while. Since all I currently have to show you is a few more inches of the Aran Cardi, I thought now would be a good time to mix it up a bit and throw in some reviews of past projects (oh fine, this is just a cheap ploy to keep y'all occupied while I work through a particularly unproductive period).
Pic taken right after the sweater was completed.
I thought I’d start with Blaze since it’s one of my favorites and I don’t feel like I’ve seen very many people make this one. Here are some specs, since this one was finished pre-blog:
Pattern: Blaze, from Knitty, by Jenna Adorno.
Size knitted: 34/36
Yarn: I subbed 9 balls of KnitPicks Andean Treasure in the color ‘Lagoon’ for the Cascade Indulgence the pattern calls for.
Finished: July 2005
Level of pattern followage: Total. I think the only thing I changed was to bind off with a smaller needle and add the crocheted flower.
How often does it get worn? Fairly frequently…about as much as any other cute and well-fitting sweater in my closet.
How has it held up? This sweater has had one winter of use and it still looks really good. I thought about taking another picture of it now, but there really isn’t much point…the yarn hasn’t pilled or gotten funky-looking and it still has the same snug fit (note: I never blocked it and I haven’t needed to wash it yet so I can’t comment on if it’ll grow when wet). The only thing that looks a little wonky are the stitches around the underarm grafts, but I always have that problem with bottom-up sweaters on circs.
How has the yarn worked out? Fine…like I just said, no pilling. The alpaca does have a little itch to it, so I need to wear it with a ¾ sleeved shirt underneath to keep it away from my skin.
What do I like? I love the color and the fit of the sweater is very flattering…it may be a figure hugging design, but the cables break things up a bit and keep it from looking slutly.
What would I change? I would definitely put full-length sleeves on this one. The sweater is thick enough that I can’t wear it until the weather is chilly, but by then my arms need a little something as well.
Should you make this sweater? Yes. If you live somewhere where it gets cold and you like cabling a lot, this sweater is for you.
Final Verdict: I give this one 9 out of 10.
So has anybody else made this one? How did it work out for you?