Around this time last year I kept seeing this ad in magazines:

I really took a fancy to that jumper. Maybe that’s why I make the unusual purchase of a jumper’s worth of varigated yarn while in Canberra later in the year. But right from the start I had ideas of designing something knit in vertical strips rather than than horizontal stripes. Then when I started Knit From Your Stash I decided designing takes too long and I should just go out and get a pattern:

Amazing how close this pattern is to the jumper in the pic above it.

I worked out I could still do vertical strips using the usual method used for intarsia. So I knit and knit and knit (often while watching Top Gear) and yesterday I sewed and sewed and sewed. I sewed for about four hours, first the ends, then the seams. I discovered that I’d put the divisions between the strips on the collar on the inside, which meant the collar was inside out, which meant that the loopy bits where the old and new yarn twist around each other were visible:

I could have reknit the collar. I could have carefully pulled out the pick-up row, sliding the stitches of the body and collar onto needles, then turned the collar and grafted it back on again.

Naaaaah. This is the High Verocity Jumper, full of fast car associations. 500 brake horse power and 0 to 60 in 2 point 5 seconds. I felt the neeeeed for speeeeed. I overstitched a column of fake stitches over the joins. Problem solved neatly hidden.

While seaming, I considered the ribbony bits in the original jumper design. I figured I may as well put them on. If I don’t like them, I can always rip them out and finish off the seams.

The sleeves look good:

But the collar didn’t.

I’d put the ribbony bits on the inside edges, leaving the outside to fold and gape however it wanted to. Once I saw a photo of it, I knew the designer of the original had the right idea. So I sewed up the inside bit and moved the ribbony bits to the outside.

Much better.

I’m glad I made the collar 5cm shorter, too. It’s quite high enough, thankyou very much. Now I just have to wait a month or two for the weather to get cold enough for me to wear it.