The Elegance of the Hedgehog

It's been so long since I knit something for myself that I can't actually recall what my last project was...something that predates both my Ravelry site and our computer's digital photo library, apparently.   Last winter, I was lucky to receive some Rowan felted tweed DK yarn for the purpose of making my own Paper Dolls sweater.  The pattern's author is from Edinburgh and blogs widely on the history of textiles, British wool production, knitting over the ages, and more.  Definitely a more intellectual read than most knitting blogs.

I love Kate Davies' writing but I did not love knitting up her pattern.  Everything took a terribly long time (casting on alone exceeded a two-hour car drive, which is pretty much a month's worth of knitting by my current standards).  I made matters far too complicated by trying to use a different yoke color pattern (hedgehogs) than her original pattern (paper dolls).  This meant adding lots of stitches in order to do the hedgehog repeats, and then having to fudge all of the yoke decreases to get back down again.  I guess I was just mad with desire over the versions I'd seen on Ravelry.

The sweater features two of my favorite colors (apple green and purple) and fits like a glove.  I stretched it a bit while blocking to try and give myself some more breathing room.  The patterning above the hedgehogs is very warped-looking, which I can't explain.  Rowan's yarn left fibers everywhere I knit but was very forgiving when it came time to block and dry.

While hedgehogs are a bit childlike for someone heading precipitously towards 40, I think they're sweet.  Since my classroom is uncontrollably overheated, I'm hoping that a short sleeved sweater will be a wearable garment as winter approaches.  When the temperatures dip below the mid-80's here, I will include a picture of me wearing my hedgehogs.

P.S. Have you read The Elegance of the Hedgehog?  I read it in French but didn't love it.  Maybe that should have told me something about knitting this sweater!