Back in 2011, when I first started venturing into sweater knitting, I fell in love with a cover-girl sweater. It was the Briar Rose tunic, featured on the cover of Interweave Knits Winter 2011:
I was enchanted by the delicate criss-crossing cables framing the simple v-neck. I was also hugely intimidated. Cables were still unfamiliar territory. And I loved this pattern so much that was afraid to try it and fail. To try it and ruin it.
Three years later, I’m finally ready. I look at this pattern and I don’t see something lovely and unattainable. I see something super cute and not that difficult. That cabled section will be finicky, but most of this sweater is easy peasey: acres of reverse stockinette with a few bands of ribbing detail. No sweat.
http://instagram.com/p/uEhU3LCJBa/?modal=true
I’ve even mustered the courage to modify the pattern to suit my body shape. Hip-length sweaters are not my friends. So I’ve shortened the distance between cast-on and waist shaping to something more suitable. And I’ve decided to go up a size to allow for the use of a worsted weight yarn instead of an Aran weight yarn.
These changes may sound simple-Simon to all you veteran sweater knitters out there, but it’s a very big deal for me. I can’t help feeling a little proud. This represents enormous growth for me as a knitter. It seems fitting that it should all come together for me with this pattern.
All She Wants To Do Is Knit 
Awesome!! I’m about to cast on my first cardigan! Soo exciting! Lovely yarn, who makes it?
This is Sun Valley MCN
I love when that happens!
🙂
Yay!!! it looks fabulous so far! I think we have all been there when we suddenly have the courage to try something that once looked unattainable. I still have not mustered the courage to knit a sweater, but I’m getting there 😉
It might take just the right pattern to lure you in. I’m trying to remember what my first sweater was (not counting the horrible llama thing I knitted for my ex). I didn’t know how to seam at the time and I didn’t think that was a problem.
It’s such a lovely feeling when that happens, isn’t it? Enjoy making and wearing this beauty. I used to assume that all those fancy techniques would NEVER be something that I could do, and I was right…. until I actually tried. 🙂
And the thing is, I’ve been knitting lots of cables and lace since then. So I don’t know what the hang-up was. Residual dread that took three years to drain away?
Still unattainable to me – but I might look at a shawl pattern again that I bought (ages ago) and never dared to actually knit. Thanks!!
It’s so funny. It doesn’t seem at all unattainable to me now. But it sure did three years ago. I think have some shawl patterns in my library like you’re talking about. Maybe that would be a good knit-along theme: knit a shawl you used to think was too hard.
Sounds good! It’s about time we stop selling ourselves short (weird though) …
I can’t wait to see it finished!
Wooooo hoooo!! Go you 🙂 That’s super exciting!
I love that pattern! How exciting! 😀
Yay! It sounds like you’re ready for this one 🙂
What a gorgeous sweater! I was going to say I didn’t think I’d ever seen it before…but it’s definitely already in my favorites on Rav. You can definitely handle it – cables aren’t any more difficult than all that lace you do!
You should feel proud. It’s so exciting to grow as a knitter! Bravo.
I can see how your love affair with this sweater started. Loving your choice of colour and look forward to seeing the finished article.
I like the rosy color for a Briar Rose sweater.
A lovely sweater and a big deal to me!
Again you inspire. Thank you!
That’s a nice sweater design. I’m surprised to hear you ever had any knitting fear at all. So good now, to look back and see how you’ve grown to overcome those fears! 🙂 ❤ ❤
[…] « That moment when an impossible, intimidating pattern suddenly looks doable […]