Here it is! My 1942 "Name, Please" is complete. I'm loving the puffed sleeves (as always), the gold zipper, and the fine gauge of this sweater.
You'll notice immediately that I opted for a single set of initials in my version, rather than the all-over pattern in the original. This was simply a matter of taste. I thought I might go for the all-over effect, but once the first set was done, I decided that I liked the look of it. Plus, I used a metallic embroidery thread and I was worried that repeating the letters over and over again would be too much. I think it'll be more wearable for me this way, too. (And also, the one set I did took a long time and was really fiddly and I didn't relish the thought of doing it a dozen more times, so...)
On the whole, this was a bit of a long haul, knitting-wise. Those wide bands of moss stitch on size 2 needles are not for the faint of heart and, more than once, I had to grit my teeth and muster up my resolve to keep going. Once I moved on to the stockinette portion, progress became much more evident and the sweater moved more quickly. Shaping and construction were fairly straightforward. I fiddled around with the stitch count for the back, but then ended up making the front to the pattern specifications. I'm happy with the fit.
Despite their time-consuming nature, I do love the look of the moss stitch borders and the
construction of the front is really great. The partial zipper is a pretty
cool feature. I had initially planned to go for a standard all-purpose zipper
in a matching brown, but then my husband suggested this gold metallic
one and it just seemed perfect. Of course, an original 1940s zipper
would have been metal, so it is certainly a more authentic choice as well. I
was very careful when installing it to ensure that the knit edges were a
safe distance away from the teeth of the zipper. Metal zippers and fine
gauge sweaters can be a scary combination without some degree of care
and planning. It works smoothly, but I think I'll always feel a little nervous when zipping or unzipping.
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| A closeup of a few details. The dark color of the yarn makes this a very tough sweater to photograph! Please excuse any washed-out areas or blurriness. |
The yarn (Jagger Spun Super Lamb 4/14 sock yarn), as I mentioned in this post, is spectacular. I loved working with it, the color is gorgeous, and the finished fabric is fine, even, and soft enough to wear next to the skin. It felt really luxurious to knit and the sweater took a little less than three skeins, so it was quite affordable.
All in all, my "Name, Please" was a satisfying project. I can absolutely foresee wearing this sweater to work this fall. I'll be back with some 1950s choices soon (my pattern collection really starts to expand when it hits the '50s, so there are lots of options). Dare I attempt a knitted dress?!
Specs
Yarn: Jagger Spun Super Lamb 4/14 sock yarn in Raw Umber
Amounts: about 2.75 skeins
Needles: size 2
Hardware: 9" sparkly gold metal zipper
Started: 25 February 2017
Finished: 9 July 2017
