The Knitting Fiend

“Hopscotch”, a spy comedy film and I saw “it”:

The classic big bulky shawl collared men’s sweater. You saw it on Starsky and Hutch. You saw it on hot college guys. On Saturday evening, I saw it on then middle aged Walter Matthau.

What’s the classic sweater? Well, it’s similar to the one above and to the right. Long, heavy jackets; most have pockets. All have a great big cozy shawl collar. The version Matthau wore was knit in a shaker rib, and grey blue in color. I turned to Jim, and asked him if he likes it: “Absolutely!” Jim’s brothers were watching the movie with us. The overheard and said, “Can you knit us one too?!”

Eventually Jim will get a sweater like that. But not now, because I have a “problem”.

The
problem”. Those shawl collar sweaters really need to be knit in fairly thick yarn. My most recent purchase is 600 grams this beautiful Taiga yarn — which is finer gauge. I could double of triple the yarn to get gauge, but then I wouldn’t have the yardage. The pattern for the one illustrated above requires over 1000 grams; so you can see the problem.

Oh well, it’s almost spring. So, I’ll stick to my plan of some sort of lighter weight pullover! After all, I won’t finish this until mid-April. I’ll have all summer to dream up a shawl collared sweater jacket design.

I do like that jacket. (I liked the movie too. )