Wedding sweater: sketch

So, what should a wedding sweater look like? Whatever the bride wants! :)

My sister browsed Ravelry and noted a bunch of sweaters she like. With that information elements started to coalesce into something of an idea:

• a high neckline that, when left unbuttoned, would fold down gracefully into those little triangles
• a fitted waist courtesy of ribbing at the hem (the dress is A-line, so this will work nicely)
• 3/4 sleeves with matching ribbing, of course
• delicate eyelets along the raglan lines of the yoke
• a little something running up the sleeve (more eyelets seem the best choice to keep things coherent)
• something special on the fronts
• lots of little buttons to enhance the delicacy and bridal feel

And here is my first scribble!

Top: buttoned up
Bottom: collar falling open gracefully

After looking over a wide variety of pretty stitch patterns, my sister fell for the Nosegay Pattern from Barbara Walker's indispensable A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Isn't it lovely? I think it will be particularly feminine and delicate worked in fingering weight yarn.

Nosegay Pattern is perfect for a bride!

We have decided to leave the back plain, which will make the knitting go a little faster for me (the wedding is on 22 August) and keep the focus up front where it belongs (on the bride!).

I'm looking at Marriage Lines, also from Walker's Treasury, to flank the Nosegays and travel up the sleeves. Seems appropriate for a wedding sweater, doesn't it? Ooh, and I just saw that the Nosegay Pattern is worked over 10 rows, while Marriage Lines takes up 20 - this kind of thing makes working the patterns so much easier, though I would have happily suffered through the "hard way" for my sister. I love when elements come together to tell a story in a sweater, especially if they fit together neatly!

Previous steps: 1. Yarn choice.

Next step: Swatching. I have some ideas for the ribbing, so the swatch will give me a chance to explore my options, as well as determine how best to handle the buttonband. I have become exceedingly fond of integrated buttonbands (you can find them in my Bloc Party Cardi, Kellynch Cardigan, and Pomegranate Cardi patterns).

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,