tomten

A while ago I mentioned 'the whole EZ thing' which is an illustration of something that I have come to realise about myself - I can be really resistant to new things (or at least, things new to me). I think that part of it is a fear that I won't be able to master said thing so I just don't want to know about it. Elizabeth Zimmerman is, of course and rightly so, a knitting legend and there is a knitiverse of her work and patterns and knowledge out there. Perhaps I just found it all too overwhelming because when I got my first inkling of her work, that resistance swelled on up. Yep, 'the whole EZ thing'.

Slowly but surely, however, I allowed myself to learn a bit more, to look at some of the books, to visit Zimmermania and although I still find her style a little brusque I would count myself among the converts. So it is with great pride that I present my first EZ project.

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's Modular Tomten Jacket taken from Knitting Without Tears.
Yarn: Noro Kureyon in shade 148; 100% wool; four skeins.
Needles: 5mm
Start to finish: Sunday 14 October 2007 to Monday 14 April 2008 - this was such a quick knit, I was finished on 2 November 2007, about 19 days of knitting. The rest of the six months has been taken up with finishing - seaming, choosing buttons, making loops for fastening. I need to lift my game.
Comments: Such a great pattern. I love the construction and doing it in a variegated wool highlights this. As I didn't want to put in a zip or knit a button band, I knit an extra panel and affixed it just inside one of the fronts so that when the jacket is done up there will be no gaps for the cold to get in. I took EZ's advice (really, how could you not?) and did some short rows across the back to make it just that little bit longer.

As usual, it was the finishing that let me down, timeliness wise. I think that because the size of this is way too big for baby bear at present (no worries, she's growing fast), I didn't feel any urgency to complete it. But then it just sits around, an unfinished object and weighs on my mind.

It did take me a good while to decide on the buttons - ultimately, black wooden toggles. At first I wanted rustic bamboo toggles but had trouble finding appropriate ones and was then talked out of it anyway (good-o). The colour changes in the jacket are already a feature, the toggles didn't need to be. the fastening loops are i-cord (three stitches or four? can't remember).

A couple of disappointments with the Kureyon though - there was a lot of debris in it and quite a few joins. Oh well, I just picked it out and knit over them. Terrific that I was able to join balls though with a quick spit and vigorous rub between my palms.


I would still really like to do a round of double crochet along the front but have run out of yarn. So if you happen to have a good few metres of spare Kureyon 148 that you would be willing to part with - please let me know.