The Knitting Fiend

On reason I love knitting sweaters bottom up is I can dream up the final collar treatment as I knit.

When I cast on last week, I’d picked the yarn, the stitch pattern, and programmed the raglan shaping to create a generator for a hand knit raglan sweater. I had not yet selected the neck treatment. There was really no hurry; I hand knit fairly slowly.

As I knit, I would quiz Jim. “What kind of neck would you like.” Answer: ” I don’t know, I’m sure you’ll think of something nice.”

Now, it’s nice to hear he has confindence in my taste, but I thought I’d like to narrow this down a bit. “Do you prefer a crew or V neck?” What do you know, he likes both! On lightweight sweaters, he prefers V necks; on heavy sweaters he prefers crew necks.

So, I thought a bit and replied: “This is heavy; how about a turtleneck?” Answer: “No, too hot indoors. “

I kept knitting.

Then, on Thursday, Jim came down wearing this old sweater he bought a zillions years ago at Pike Place Market in Seattle. I looked at that neck and said: “How about that neck?” Jim said “Perfect!”

I kept knitting; I’ve not completed the lower body and one lower sleeve. He’s flitting off to Oklahoma today, so I took my final opportunity to ask before I finish the sweater. Just in case, you know? He still loves that neck treatment, which he wears folded down.

By the time he returns from travel, his raglan sweater will have what we Americans call a polo neck.