Baby, I'm no lady

Way back when* I resolved to knit a February Lady Sweater this year.

The FLS seems to be one of those cult things, a rite-of-passage knit that in these modern times of Ravelry many, many knitters have made. Indeed, at today's reckoning there are 12834 projects on Ravelry.

In February 2012 I'd had a false start with some Rowan felted tweed, and then waited for February to come around again, for an FLS should, of course, be a February challenge. But as the month approached, I just couldn't quite get into it, and wondered if it was in any case something I'd actually wear. (Tasia wrote a really good post on not wearing things you knit. I can't find the link, but you should read all of her blog anyway as it's full of amazingnesses.)

I have, however, been supplied with a brace of new knitwear victims nieces, and so I went back to the FLS ur-text, the baby sweater on two needles in the February chapter of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. The result:

version 1

version 2

Both were knitted in Sirdar Snuggly DK, the first on 3.75mm needles and the second on 4mm.

Now to knit something (other than socks) that I will actually wear. And to see things I've made as real close. There is, after all, a scrap of paper in the Sewlutions jar ...

* On New Year's Day, it turns out