A Homegrown Handspun Sweater Part 2

Good things take time as the saying goes. This sweater began over a decade ago with our little flock of sheep who grew the wool. I began spinning the skeins of wool back in November and began the knitting around winter solstice. I wrote about those steps in Part 1 if you’re interested. I used to work very fast at knitting but this time around I took my time as if to savor every minute of the process. Making a sweater from backyard sheep and homegrown colors is a fulfilling experience. I used to do it so often that it sort of lost its charm but it’s been so many years now that I felt a renewed sense of gratitude this time. Each of the slow processes from shearing the sheep, to spinning the yarn, to planting the dye plants and tending them, to the day of harvest, to the day of dyeing, to the first stitch cast on. All that time and all those processes that led up to the final stitch of this finished sweater.

The pattern is Polina by Teti Lusak and I knew right away when I first saw it that I wanted to make one. I’m so happy with how it came out! It’s been such a long time since I’ve naturally dyed wool yarn that I wasn’t sure how I’d do on the colors but I’m really pleased with how the rudbeckia (green) and madder root (coral) play together. I added this to my Ravelry projects if you want to see my notes on it there.

I’m grateful to have caught the spinning and knitting bug again. I was starting to get worried that I might never find time to knit again but this project has me feeling hungry for more and I’ve already cast on a hat with the leftover yarn from this project.

Making a sweater from scratch has taught me the true value of a garment. To see the fiber grow from sheep who are my friends, and to take part in all the processes that transform the wool to become a finished garment. It’s all too good.