Best Friend Jacket

Sally Melville's The Knitting Experience: Knit Stitch is the source of this fun, over-sized jacket. I chose Knit Picks Sierra, 70% wool 30% alpaca, in Coal for this garment. I got gauge (13 stitches and rows per inch) with size 11 needles (size 9 for the cuffs, as recommended). The photos show the progression from nearly the beginning to the finished product.

Started on 2/15/07 and finished on 3/3/07, this was a lot of fun to knit. It's done from cast on at the left cuff and worked in garter stitch sideways. I read the directions a few times just to wrap my head around the idea of knitting sideways and her instructions for working the fronts.

Before embarking on the full scale model, I made a small scale sample in leftover bulky yarn, forget the brand. I just remember I got it on sale at my LYS and it is 100% alpaca. Super soft, that alpaca. Here are a couple of shots of the sample.
Yes, I have Queen Amidala and Princeless Leia dolls. Your point is...?

I took measurements of my Star Wars doll, did some quick math, and made the sample. As you can see, both Amidala and Leia love their Best Friend Jacket. Amidala is sporting my first circular attempt to turn a heel before I made my first sock. Feeling funky fantastic after turning the heel, I knit it into a wacky doll hood.
Check out Leia's Man Hands. Does Carrie Fisher know about this?

I recommend the small sample, even if you are doll-challenged. It's fast and a fun bit of knitting. Also, you can mess up and who cares? Not the doll, look at that smile!
On the full scale version, I used circular needles for this this to balance the weight and knit back and forth, as directed. It knit up pretty fast, the fabric is very soft. It was very heavy and a bit unwieldy toward the end. It's also very stretchy.
By the time I was done knitting, it was one big wad of knit fabric. Seaming was simple, side and sleeves. Sew on 3 buttons and done. Didn't even block it. No complaints about anything, really. The directions are good, the garment fits like I expected. It was just a lot of knitting. It's warm enough to wear without an outer jacket in Seattle in early March.
Gets the mind to wandering. Once I was past the left front and working the right front and twirly what seemed like 20 pounds of fabric around to knit, I kept thinking back to: how can I knit flat without turning? On one of my knit breaks, I pulled out Priscilla Gibbons-Roberts Knitting in the Old Way for the answer: reverse knitting. But I digress.


Next up: Not Your Mother's Suit Jacket.

Experiment with your knitting, my lovelies. You'll be amazed at what you can do.