A hasty moment spent at the Joshua Tree Coffee Company. If you ever plan to drive eastward toward the Yucca Valley, make a stop here and sample a roast. I didn't believe any of my friends' bold statements about the coffee's pure taste until I had a cup for myself.
pattern : Thurman by Lidia Tsymbal
yarn : Patons North America Kroy Socks in Flax
needle : US 8, 9 [5, 5.5mm]
size : Large
Thurman would be my second sweater ever knit (not counting baby sweaters), and was, like the first one, a very fun and enjoyable experience. I'm happy to have finally found the time to photograph it. Because of my smaller budget, I opted for skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease instead of a pure wool or wool-blend. I think it resulted in a different fabric density than intended for the pattern, but the extremely low-maintenance washability is a huge plus for now. Finances permitting, I intend to work through this pattern one more time in something like a brooklyn tweed.
The big feature that attracted me about this particular design was the ribbing and how that played into fitting the shape of the shoulders and wrists. I'm a very big fan of ribbed knitting! It was a joy to see how much give that particular pattern gave to this sweater. Unfortunately the price I pay for having used such a cheap and easy-care yarn is that the 'bounce' of the ribbed parts will go lax and disappear after a few washes, but it'll be fun while it lasts.
As far as the sweater goes as a wearable item and not just a finished knitting project? My Thurman is warm-and-a-half, which hasn't meant many opportunities in the California springtime to wear. I personally don't think it's the most flattering fit on my figure, but that's probably the result of knitting the size I'd go for when buying a sweater, rather than fitting to my measurements and trusting the ease. It's to say, Thurman II is likely gonna have to be a medium rather than a large.
Thurman is a very well thought out and straightforward pattern. It took trusting what Lidia was intending to do with certain parts of the process to really see that she knew just what she was doing and that you were in good hands. That said, there are two possible reasons why such a nice pattern has so few completed projects up on Ravelry:
• The $8 price point seems too steep to the beginner knitter,
• The one website where you can purchase this pattern is a total pain in the ass to navigate and purchase from, and was also previously only buyable as part of a much more expensive kit.
I can't do anything about that weird site problem, but let me assure you as someone very recently graduating from checking the 'free only' box while browsing patterns on Rav, that this pattern is well worth the price and the headache. Just go for it. Cast on Thurman and let me know how you like it.
The lovely Sarah of Apothecary Californica invited us to a weekend in Twentynine Palms, CA last winter.
