More Fiber Work: Icelandic Sweater

After nearly fifty-one  years of asking Dear One if I could knit him something nice, he asked for an Icelandic sweater.  We had watched a movie called Pullover Island.  There were many beautiful sweaters shown.  People seem to knit everywhere in Iceland, both men and women.

Dear One found a sweater he liked then even found the designer so I could inquire about purchasing the pattern.  The lady responded within the hour--time differences helping!  She said the design was 1. a traditional Icelandic pattern, 2. it was written in Icelandic, and 3.  she did not have authority to sell it. Well, that was that I suppose but I decided I was smart enough to do it anyway.  

The pattern Dear One showed me was a black pullover with a dark gray zigzag yoke followed but a white up to the neck.  I ordered some Lettlopi yarn in those three colors from The Woolly Thistle in West Lebanon, NH.  I made a hat as a gauge swatch and to figure out the design.  Next I ordered some Alafosslopi from The Woolly Thistle in the same colors to make another gauge swatch hat.  All the while I was looking for Icelandic sweater patterns with the zigzags.  I did not find them so I knew I would have to use the designs I made.

Eventually I saw a book called The Lopapeysa Sweater: A Journey North in Search of Iceland's Iconic Knitwear.  The book was very interesting to read.  There was a pattern in there for The Everywhere Sweater which was a cardigan.  Dear One wanted a pullover.  After a fair amount of thought and planning, I used the directions for that sweater, using the Alafosslopi from The Woolly Thistle, removed the two purl stitches the Icelanders use for steeking (YES!! Two stitches, not five, not seven, not nine...all of which I have seen for the steeking stitches.), and added in my own zigzag design.  The front has the stitches sixteen stitches wide by sixteen stitches tall and the back (between the sleeve stitches) are fourteen stitches by fourteen stitches.  Needed the change to make the design work.

Well, finally, maybe a month after I cast on, the sweater was finished.  Dear One tried it on and deemed it satisfactory but said he was not going to wear it.  After all, daily temperatures are in the upper 90's currently!  So, I put it away in a clear plastic box and stored it in his closet with the leftover yarn.  When I get a few more "on the needles already" projects finished, I will see if there is enough leftover yarn to make a vest for me.  Unsure.

You will notice there is a little "bleed through" in the white.  I saw a video on a way to avoid that, but it came two days after I finished.  I will NOT be ripping back and re-knitting!

Here is a full view of the completed sweater.  It makes me happy to have figured this out.  I will not likely become a pattern designer...not by a long shot, even though this worked this time.