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It is finished! This was a major project, Stephen wanted a heavy duty jacket type sweater and that’s what he got. So, here is the basic template, a fleece zip up that Stephen liked in terms of its basic shape and style:

He decided he wanted it in black Alpaca yarn and super thick. I ended up knitting with Misti Alpaca’s Worsted Weight with two strands held together. Stephen is thrilled with it and can’t believe how warm and heavy it is. I’m pleased with how it turned out, it looks so nice and professional! Unless of course you look at the inside where I sewed in the lining by hand:

I’ll get a sewing machine eventually but in the meantime this got the job done. I decided to line it because the alpaca is so fuzzy and sheds so much. Plus I figure that the lining will help the knit fabric keep its shape over time. Those are pockets sewn into the lining by the way. I’ve never really learned how to sew so I was just winging it with all the finishing details. For the pockets I left parts of the sides unseamed and sewed them in there.

I used Ann Budd’s Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns and the set-in sleeve cardigan numbers for the pattern. I did K3, P3 ribbing at the hems.  The collar is double thick. I knit up a bunch of rows, then purled a turning row, and knit the same number of rows then sewed it down. It stands up nicely which was one of Stephen’s requests:

This thing was a whole lot of work but in the end, Stephen got exactly what he wanted and I think putting in the time to get it just right is the best kind of gift I can give.

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