Julia shows and tells.

I first wrote about the Shenandoe Farm angora goat yarn back in April, when I introduced the local yarns nook and waxed rhapsodic about this rustic,  undyed yarn. It wasn't long after I finished that cabled hat that I started on a sweater out of the same yarn. Now that I've completed said sweater, I thought it might be time for some show and tell.

My sweater was inspired first by designer Anna Zilboorg, who described a method of sweater construction at a workshop in February that pretty much blew my mind. A seamless sweater, knit in flat pieces? With set-in sleeves, shaped simply, like drop-shoulder sleeves? I had to try it. Luckily, Nancy was teaching a class at the shop on this same method while I was wading through the process on my own, so I had a chance to pick her brain on the subject every other week. Not to mention, I eavesdropped on her students as they tackled their own Zilboorg-style sweaters. The side panels, made of stitches picked up at the armpit, were the topic of many a brainstorm session. For those curious: an armpit detail.

I can't say how rewarding it is to take on a knitting challenge like this and come out with a finished garment, and how exciting to watch others do the same. I can't wait to see Nancy's students' finished sweaters, as every one of them designed their own unique garment using different stitch patterns, yarns, and colors. That's one of the pleasures of knitting classes, after all--to see the many variations that are possible for a given pattern or idea.

And what am I up to now? I'm challenging myself to another self-designed sweater, with another recently-raved-about yarn: Marion Foale 3-ply wool.

Hope your weekend provided some good knitting time, too. See you at the shop!