You are what you wear

When I consider my work and academic duties, there’s hardly anything special about it: the work requires some intellectual effort to collect information, then to put it all together and finally write it down or teach about it. Many other scientists in various institutes, archives and museums work in much the same way. One important part of this job is to promote or present your knowledge in front of a group of people.

The students forge their opinions about their teachers basing on various circumstances, scientific and non-scientific. One of the factors, as I can remember from my own student days, is the professor’s outfit. I suppose it dates back to the early childhood, when in the kindergarten the lady wearing a glittering pink sweater is much better recognised than someone wearing bland, boring clothes.

Keeping in mind my own opinions based on how the professors appeared, I try to prepare myself not only in the intellectual way, but also in terms of looks. So here comes my newest sweater, which I knitted for myself.

I’ve had to knit up two skeins and some leftovers of Malabrigo Sock from my stash, but I haven’t had any idea for the pattern. For a long time I had Autumn’s end in mind, but I did not fully like it. In my view the yarn used in this pattern was too heavy (I hardly ever use needle size 5.0 mm/US 8), the shaping - which is quite normal in my case - did not suit my figure and finally the lace did not catch my eye either.

With #modifyyourgarmentKAL I’ve decided to introduce modifications to the pattern. My garment is worked bottom up. I have changed the lace pattern, yarn weight and needle size and consequently all the pattern calculations. The one thing I am specially proud of is the idea to make the front significantly wider than the back piece, which in fact much better corresponds to my measurements. I have also changed the waist shaping. There is one more thing I’m not entirely happy about: as I had two different Malabrigo skeins, even changing it every second row I did not get the best colour transition.

After spending a rather short time on calculations, I knitted this sweater in just a couple of days and wore it for the Easter season. At the very end I must confess that I modified the pattern in every possible way and in the finished piece not much is left of the Autumn’s End.

PS. In the very lace pattern there is a wee modification as well.