Sunday, December 11, 2005

Introducing... Zhivago

[x-posted at Two Pointy Sticks]

Another day, another... original cashmere sweater kit. Introducing Zhivago: a sweater inspired in part by the glorious costumes in the film Dr Zhivago (the Omar Sharif/Julie Christie version of Pasternak's epic, rather than the Keira Knightley/Hans Matheson version).

In daydreams of skiing this winter, an elegantly insouciant, fashionably-off-piste sweater design haunted me until I finally committed it to paper and knit it up -- not once, but twice. Zhivago turned out to be a very quick knit, about 5-6 days for a completed garment, including steaming (in lieu of spaceboard blocking) and seaming. Knit in Pippin (100% aran weight cashmere), the pullover is fitted and sports both cabled cuffs and a collar, the simple cable pattern adding a twist (no pun intended) to the high, scrunched funnel neck.

Here you have Zhivago, wonderfully modeled by Marine and Nathalie. Both samples are in bust size 38, worn slightly oversized (in colourway: Bruise) and in true fit (colourway: Rum Point):













Zhivago is available as a kit.

Fits bust sizes: 36 [ 38; 40; 42; 44; 46; 48]
Materials:
-- 12 [ 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 16] skeins of Pippin (100% aran weight cashmere)
-- size US 10 needles
-- cable needle
-- tapestry needle
-- waste yarn for seaming up (preferably in a finer gauge)