I steel myself: Unsteeking

I love this book

I've knit several items from this book, including this

I finished it in 1992, obviously.  It was knit on very small needles, perhaps size 1.  Knit on  12" double points.  The gauge is 8 stitches per inch.  I am no longer that crazy.  I bought the yarn in Vermont, long ago.

The sweater, according to Pagoldh's book is an old Swedish pattern.

The challenge:  I can't recall ever wearing this.  It's lain fallow in the closet since 1992.  I do love it. 

I hatched an idea.  My good friend Bob does home decor.  I don't.  My living room decor is what I like to think of as not-on-purpose-it's-just-me-19th-century-natural-history-museum:  inherited primitive antiques, my butterfly collection, an old velvet patchwork quilt on the wall done by a distant Grandmother, some dusty starfish and sand dollars collected from South Carolina beaches on the book shelves containing Peterson's Field Guides and The Southern Living Garden Book.  I still need the phrenology head for this, and would like to have some bird skeletons under bell jars.  Oh yeah, there are a few Peruvian backstrap woven textiles.

Bob is a talented knitter and designer, among other things he designs and decorates with pillows, and looking at his on Ravelry made me think of turning the fallow sweater into a pillow.  The red and black? Perfect for my dark and dusty decor.

Cutting was tougher than cutting the steeks for it back in 92

I much prefer knitting to sewing, but did take the time to baste it to get the pattern lined up the way I wanted.

Finished today, not sewn up yet at the bottom, but I love the result.  I plan to do some little "kidney pillows" (lumbar rolls?!) with the sleeves

Here's the view with the Ashford

I think Bob will approve.