When I was a kid, I spent many hours admiring a pair of jeans my mother had saved from when she was younger on which she had embroidered brightly colored suns and rainbows and lazy daisy flowers, as was the style in the late ’60’s. I secretly coveted those jeans, but realized early on that they would never be mine because in the late ’60’s, my mother was a wee tiny thing and I was the exact opposite of that. When I got to be a little older I made an attempt to learn embroidery, with the hope of eventually being able to embellish my own jeans with the same sort of hippie flair. It turns out that I suck at embroidery, mostly because I suck spectacularly at drawing.
Eventually, dabbling in the textile arts led me to knitting, where I found my true calling, and I knitted myself a sweater. I loved that sweater. I loved that sweater to death. We had a glorious 4 months together, that sweater and I. It was my constant companion. I wore it almost every single day and fell asleep wrapped in it more than once. But over the course of those 4 months, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the sweater was too plain and I often fantasized about embellishing the yoke with embroidery, the way I once dreamed of decorating my jeans. Killing that sweater turned out to be a perfect opportunity.
[ravelry]
As it happens, I still pretty much suck at embroidery, but I love how the new sweater came out anyway.
Knitting Interrupted 
I love the embroidery! It’s the perfect little touch.
Awww! I love your emrboidery work. Time to start on your jeans.
Your post also reminded me of your “writer’s sweater” you had in high school–that comfy, long tannish-brownish sweater coat which I secretly coveted. :-) Do you remember that sweater?
I really like it! The embellishments are just right for the sweater- has a definite “feel” to it. It looks just lovely.
Oh my, you remember so fondly the jeans I couldn’t part with because they were so comfy and worn that I embroidered over the holes and worn out spaces until they became too threadbare to hold the stitches? It was a hippie solution to be sure but I never thought of it as a fashion statement, just a way to get more use of the jeans I was so attached too! Ah, perspective is everything eh?
BTY–your stitches are lovely!
I like happy knitting endings! :-)
Can’t wait to see it on you! It turned out lovely! : )
Schweet!
can’t wait to see it in person!
Its lovely! I had great dreams myself of making a quilt and embroidering scense of Florida and things that reminded me of my grandfather onto the quilt. Along with pockets ripped from all his shirts after he died. But I too royally suck at drawing and thus embroidery. Although I’m still going to muddle my way through making the quilt.
Your sweater is truly beautiful though, and very uniquely yours.