March 03, 2004

Is this a new project I see before me?

Is this a new project I see before me?
[Click here for a closeup of the stitch.]

I think it's about time I knit a sweater for the husband. He really deserves the knitting love because thus far both sweaters I have knit for him are being worn into the ground. How about...a ribbed sweater in blue variegated wool-acrylic yarn called Pegase? (Pattern is from Phildar Les Essentiels 2003.) I used this same yarn for the cabled sweater I knit last winter, and I won't lie: I didn't care for the slightly sticky feeling of the high-content acrylic while knitting. However, the sweater has really held up well, because I wasn't kidding when I said that Monsieur Le Hubby is wearing it ragged. No pilling, and it's retained its shape through washings. So it's Pegase for this sweater, too. Wool-acrylic blends can be a very good thing*.

I cast on for the back piece of this sweater last week (while waiting for my blasted skein of Phil Ruban to come in for the poncho), knit a few rows every evening and before I knew it, I was up to the armholes. Quick knit! I like.

Hello! Please block me.
[And don't forget to click here for the whole enchilada.]

Last night Shanghai Noon was on channel M6, and I picked up the sweater and knit while watching Jackie Chan kick around and speak in a dubbed French voice. Bizarre, but excellent knitting television. Right at the scene where Owen Wilson* comes out unscathed in a shootout and calls out in the church, "C'est un miracle!" [it's a miracle!], I was short-rowing the shoulders and shaping the neckline. Just like that, I finished the back piece without interruption. C'est un miracle!

Hm...three-needle bind-off or backstitch?
(I'm still deciding.)

*I admit, I like me a fancy yarn. But I certainly won't discredit a yarn just because it costs under 3 bucks a skein and has high-content acrylic. Hell, I'll knit it if it results in a good garment. Bring it ON.

**That actor has a bit of an odd nose, but for some reason it works on his face. There's something about Owen that I find very "rawr" � la Lex Luther from Smallville, although the blond hair he sports just doesn't do it for me at all. Yep. It must be that nose. And while we're on the subject of "rawr", the model wearing the ribbed sweater in this photo reminds me of Ken Watanabe.

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45 comments to this entry:

Owen Wilson's nose has been broken twice and he never had it fixed. I personally go for his brother Luke. :) I have been reading your blog (thanks to Wendy Knits) for a few weeks, and I just wanted to say your work is beautiful. W. :)

[Wendy on 03 mar 04 @ 03:15 pm]

Thank you! It's nice to have you here :-) So is that why his nose is like that? I hope he doesn't fix it. I myself prefer less-than-perfect noses.

[Becky from fluffa! on 03 mar 04 @ 03:30 pm]

I think Owen is darling! I like the nose too, AND the blonde hair, but I have always had a weakness for those cute beachy blonde guys. And you gotta love him because he is a Texan, yeah! ;-) I can't see any of your pictures this morning - maybe later the server will show them. Hrumph.

[TAMARA on 03 mar 04 @ 04:00 pm]

Looks like I'm not the only one who knits quickly! I'm with you on it's not the content it's the long term wear and behavior that matters. I didn't really enjoy knitting my summer tweed sweater, but it's holding up very well. And having a little acrylic to increase elasticity in a cotton sweater is a fabulous thing, I think. The Pegase looks like a lovely yarn from a texture and color perspective -- but I like almost anything blue!

[Theresa on 03 mar 04 @ 04:52 pm]

How cute is that sweater?! What a lucky husband you have... oh, and I second the Owen Wilson thing... he's adorable... I think he's the cutest in the movie Zoolander... b/c he's cute and funny... can't beat that... if you haven't seen Zoolander, you ought to... it's hilarious.

[ms. amy on 03 mar 04 @ 05:12 pm]

Hi B, if you like Owen�s nose what do you say then about Jean Reno�s one? He is great :o)

[Eva on 03 mar 04 @ 05:26 pm]

Here in Austin there are regular, if not terribly frequent, occasions for Wilson-spotting (of both Owen and Luke). They went to school here, lived here after school, and still seem to spend a fair amount of time in the area. I once saw Luke jogging on Congress Avenue bridge, dressed a lot like his character in The Royal Tenenbaums--it's like he wanted to be spotted. My sister once saw them both together after the show the last time Sonic Youth played in Austin. SY is coming back really soon, so who knows, if I go it's possible I might have my own Wilsons sighting soon. They also might be in town for the South by Southwest music festival that's coming up. Anyway, if I do see Owen, I'll think of you (and maybe take a surreptitious picture if I have a camera handy).

[susan on 03 mar 04 @ 05:27 pm]

I saw the Royal Tenenbaums on cable a few months ago, and had NO idea that Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson) was Owen's brother. They don't look very much alike. But that's fun little movie trivia, there.

[Becky from fluffa! on 03 mar 04 @ 05:47 pm]

Owen Wilson is quirky looking but I like me some quirky now and then. And who cares if the sweater is acrylic? It's looking as fabulous as everything else you've made. Knowing you, too, you'll have it done in a week.

[Jackie on 03 mar 04 @ 06:24 pm]

I like the sweater you've got going for the Mr. Very nice! If you wanna Wilson-a-gogo rent Bottlerocket, there are 3 Wilsons in that one!

[Silvia on 03 mar 04 @ 06:36 pm]

Yummy sweater and YUMMY that you mention Smallville's version of Lex Luthor too (rawr!) However, I'm a LUKE Wilson fan . . .

[Janet on 03 mar 04 @ 06:47 pm]

Lucky husband of Rabbit.He'll look very stylish in all that lovely ribbed blue.

[Emma on 03 mar 04 @ 07:07 pm]

My GOD you knit fast. You started that last night?! Sigh. I only dream of whipping out stuff so quickly. And there are SO many ribs going around, eh? I am up to my sleeves in ribs as we comment! heh heh. I'm trying to remember I've I've seen 'Shanghai Noon' ... we did just rent 'Seven Samaurais' and it was awesome. I know, not exactly related, but still. ;) ... Must go to 'netflix' and add SN to my queue. DH needs another sweater too... I need him to score a *few* more points with me though first, before I cast on. :p

[Alysia on 03 mar 04 @ 07:35 pm]

LOL - OH... last WEEK, not last NIGHT! Whew. !

[Alysia on 03 mar 04 @ 07:36 pm]

my mom and i just had a long conversation about yarns with acrylic content and how it's really more like lycra than it is like polyester. all season cotton is so lovely to knit with and it's 40% acrylic

[carolyn on 03 mar 04 @ 08:26 pm]

If I know the person I'm knitting for wears things out they get some sort of easy care yarn. It might not be a joy to knit with but it is a joy to see it worn, and worn, and worn....

[Chelee on 03 mar 04 @ 08:32 pm]

Nice sweater! Lucky husband! I am currently making mine a pair of socks in Pegase. His toes and heels are the same color as your husban's sweater.... Don't you hate watching dubbed versions of movies? I didn't care before I moved to the US, but now, Meg Ryan in French is driving me nuts!!!! Caroline

[Caroline on 03 mar 04 @ 09:23 pm]

Sweater is looking, as per usual, rather spiffy. I myself go for a wonky nose too. The odder the nose, the more attrative I find the fella in question! And it has nothing to do with the fact that my own schnoz holds more than a passing resemblence to the nose of Bruce Willis...

[Leisl on 03 mar 04 @ 09:48 pm]

I know what you mean about yarns....I like to knit with nice yarn, since there's no point putting all that effort in and using yarn that's not so nice, but I wouldn't not use a yarn just cos it has acrylic in it! Like Carolyn says, ASC is great. I also hear it with projects sometimes - like something's only worth knitting if it's hard! I think it's worth knitting if it looks nice, even if it's dead easy. Not that we were talking about that, but it reminded me. Anyway, I think you husband is very lucky to get a nice new sweater, and you are very lucky that he likes you to knit for him - I wish mine did! (Boyfriend not husband!).

[jen on 04 mar 04 @ 12:45 am]

Great choice with the sweater. Love it. Quick question: I was looking at the previous ribbed sweater you knit for your husband (green sleeves) and was wondering what the pattern was that you used, i really like the sweater and think my hubby would like one of his own.

[Danielle on 04 mar 04 @ 01:35 am]

Wow you knit fast! It looks great. It is rather interesting to watch American movies in Korean. I can only imagine in French. I do enjoy both Wilson boys!!! I think they're both hilarious.

[Laura S on 04 mar 04 @ 03:01 am]

I can appreciate a broken nose--mine has been broken twice and repaired once. :) Wonky noses are good. And acrylic definately has its place in knitting. I agree with carolyn and her mom--acrylic ain't like it used to be. I have some Woolease chunky in the stash closet to knit a cable-rib in the round from an old knitters for my daughter.

[Kathleen on 04 mar 04 @ 01:53 pm]

My roommate and I are going to see the new Starsky and Hutch movie this weekend! We are both big fans of Owen Wilson. (The nose is a key part of his charm.) Love the color of the sweater you're knitting for your husband. It's such a rich shade of blue.

[Sara on 04 mar 04 @ 02:06 pm]

Impressively fast knitting Becky! I completely agree about yarn contents, i think it's the wearability which is most important. I had some very disagreable experinces with cheap yarn, but also with expensive ones. That's why I look the contents, but also ask about how it wears. The problem with new yarns is, that you can't be 100% sure of the sellers advices, as they is no retrospect. But as you say Pegase wears well, I'll have a second look...

[St�phanie on 04 mar 04 @ 02:13 pm]

The sweater looks fabulous! (I just got the pictures to pop up) I'm glad to hear you like the Pegase, since I've got some in my stash and more on the way, right? Only now I'm feeling guilty that none of it is for my husband. Pegase socks - that sounds cool! Now that we know how fast you knit, we'll be expecting dancing pictures first thing next week. ;0)

[alison on 04 mar 04 @ 02:54 pm]

I like the way the yarn looks--slightly marled and all. I got nothing against durability either. And I sure ain't got nothing against Owen. Or Luke. But more Owen. Mmmmmm...Owen.

[Em on 04 mar 04 @ 03:07 pm]

I learned a new word in French yesterday: telecharger. Nothing to do with charges to one's credit card, but rather a 'download'. Who'da thunk? Makes perfect sense, too, once I realised what it meant. I'm not afraid of the Phildar site anymore! - I don't learn many new words anymore, so I had to share that. "Bottlerocket" - if you're not American, watch something else. With or without the Wilsons. Trust me. I had spent years with Texans (in NYC, though) when I saw it, and still didn't "get it". OK, now go and watch it anyway!

[Valentina on 04 mar 04 @ 03:33 pm]

Wow, that sweater is awesome. It really is hard to find nice men's sweater patterns, don't ya think? And you always find them! And acrylic yarn...well, I always go with the bargain since I'm strapped for cash. So I embrace acrylic with its low price and easy care. However, when I grow up, I will only use 100% cashmere yarn to knit. Just kidding.

[Carrie on 04 mar 04 @ 03:33 pm]

This reminds me of the salami I'm knitting for my husband. You're way faster than I am, that's for sure. I got bored with the 4/2 ribbing. Now I must finish before you do, but I think I shouldn't bet on it. :/ Bisou.

[Marie on 04 mar 04 @ 05:14 pm]

That is a nice-looking sweater...I also thought that the kids version was very cute. Spring must be close. My thoughts are turning to cotton-acrylic blends.

[claudia on 04 mar 04 @ 06:10 pm]

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement! The cabled sweater I knit was from Phildar's "Hommes" Winter 2002 catalog, and the raglan one with the green sleeves is also from Les Essentiels 2002 catalog, which also has the pattern for the blue sweater I'm doing now. It's a back issue, but if you can get your hands on it I recommend it. Lots and lots of classic sweaters, tops and jackets in there. The Pegase is a good acrylic-wool blend. I wouldn't recommend all of Phildar's acrylic blends, but this one is nice and holds up so well. And speaking of ASC, Phildar's Aviso is identical to it. Another favorite of mine! [Foreshadowing there...I've got something in the works in Aviso right now. Hee hee!] P.S. to Caroline: I'd love to see those socks! What a neat way to use this particular shade of Pegase.

[Becky from fluffa! on 04 mar 04 @ 07:12 pm]

You always have such good choices of *guy sweaters*. It's funny I showed the picture of your last sweater to my *picky* husband ages ago when you made it and he said "you could knit me that sweater" - that's saying a lot coming from my husband ;) I am sure he would like your current choice too. As for Owen - I think it's the whole of him that hits me in a funny way. His nose, his southern twang and definitely his sense of humour ~ Luke Wilson and Wes Anderson are pretty funny too. I think you would like Bottle Rocket if you haven't seen it already. Lumi Cavazos, the girl who played Tita in Como Agua Para Chocolate, plays Inez in Bottle Rocket.

[Tiffany on 04 mar 04 @ 11:59 pm]

I like wonky noses too, but my husband's nose is perfect, and he's pretty darn cute. (I've actually spent time looking at his nose, thinking, "how is it possible for anyone's nose to look like that?") Anyway... you seem to be the Phildar expert. I found two skeins in a thriftstore in a suburb of Seattle. One is gray, and is called "Boeing." Do you know if this is a reference to Boeing the company? Or is this also a french word? My dad worked at Boeing for 30 years, and I almost feel over when I saw the name. The other is Phil Tweed. I don't know what I'm going to do with two individual skeins, but I'll think of something. I'm really loving Lion's Cotton Ease. Acrylic doesn't seem all that bad to me, mixed with other fibers.

[cherylc on 05 mar 04 @ 10:36 pm]

I like the color and the look of the yarn. Wow you knit fast!

[Jeanine on 06 mar 04 @ 04:37 am]

Hi Becky. Since you got me hooked on ordering Phildar patterns off the internet (I just feel so...so...cosmopolitan paying in euros, what can I say?) I feel like I should declare the start of a Phildar baby project (well, different yarns, of course, but Phildar design) that is clicking along quite nicely (baby = small) and may even be finished (again, baby = small) before the intended recipient grows out of it and it has to join the completed "girly sweaters" pile in hopes of future girl babies from SOMEONE. (All my friends keep having boys! Did anyone check this plan against my baby projects stash?) At any rate, am very much enjoying the clarity of the Phildar patterns after a 20+ year hiatus from them. One of these days I may even plunge into a guy's pattern, lord knows I am snapping them up each season, but as I look at the dimensions they are probably better-suited for my boys (in about 10 years) than my husband!

[Evelyn on 06 mar 04 @ 08:06 am]

Thanks for the link to the phildar free pattern! Now I have an gorgeous pattern that I can't read, using a yarn I can't get- life couldn't be better! :-D Your projects are so nice!

[Sarah Elizabeth on 06 mar 04 @ 05:43 pm]

I think Owen as a bit new century Robert Redfordish. He definitely needs a new doo, but the nose adds some character don't you think? I wish I could knit as fast as you! As always, c'est fantastique!

[janet D on 06 mar 04 @ 07:25 pm]

Another former massive honker, here! (It's been fixed.) (Twice.) But I have nothing against bulbous beaks. I love Gerard Depardieu's nose. And the rest of him. And his son. Also, the blue sweater is lovely. I'm sure if it had a nose, it would be a sexy nose.

[Diane on 07 mar 04 @ 03:01 am]

I love this sweater choice! I have to make a sweater for the guy who helped me paint my apartment (well, I don't have to, but he's giving me a sofa, too, so I just should), and I think I'll do somethin' like this. Ribbies just look good. :)

[Rachael on 07 mar 04 @ 07:42 pm]

I love your work! It's really coming out well. I'm to scared as to take on such a big project as my hubby...hell, knitting something for my self seems slightly daunting., than again I'm still a novice. Please let me know what is a three-needle bind off, I've heard of this on another blog, but have not tried it yet.

[Orli on 08 mar 04 @ 02:01 pm]

Hey Becky, is this your "George"?

[Maggie on 10 mar 04 @ 02:15 am]

Do you wash the acrylic blend (such as Pegase) sweaters by hand, like a wool sweater? Some of the acrylic blends say they are machine washable, but is machine washing what makes them pill?

[Kim on 10 mar 04 @ 04:48 am]

Thanks! :-) Evelyn: I've also got plans for a Phildar baby project. I love the cottons - licorne, coton microfibres, aviso - and I find the patterns to be so darn cute. Share photos of your project, please? Orli: I've placed a link to a site with instructions on the three-needle bindoff in the "weblog" portion of my site - check out the column to the right on the front page. Maggie: You betcha. "I will love him and squeeze him and call him George..." Kim: I throw nearly everything in the washing machine. I've noticed that a few knit things pill after a while, even some knit from 100% wool. I wouldn't know if it's the washing machine that does it, although I would assume the agitation might have something to do with it. That's something worth checking into...

[Becky from fluffa! on 10 mar 04 @ 08:13 am]

i am loving the 4x2 rib, the deep blue color, the hot hot hot hot model (can i have him for my easter present?)...i am loving everything about this sweater!! show us more.

[carolyn on 15 apr 04 @ 01:42 am]

March 03, 2004

Is this a new project I see before me?

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