Yarn Along: Gold Diggers and the 1930s Sweater that Almost Wasn't

Well.  The 1930s-inspired blue sweater didn't come out exactly as expected, but I think I've salvaged it for now.  It is a bit snug, and I don't really have the waist definition to really wear it well, but it will do.  I'm also submitting this sweater for the HSM #2 Challenge: Blue, even though it wasn't what I planned for this month.

My original split collar didn't work out--I think perhaps I didn't make it wide enough, but it was hard to tell as I was knitting how wide it should be in relation to the shoulders, and I couldn't really try it on while the needles were on the collar.  So I ended up sewing the collar together to make a short turtleneck, but the whole sweater seemed small and blocky to me.  I was casting about for ways to redeem the sweater,  and I found some 1930s knitting pattern images that I used as inspiration to fix this one.  I decided to crochet a double width cord to thread through the top of the ribbed section to cinch the sweater in in the middle, and provide a focal point.  The low turtleneck collar and overall shape of the sweater is similar to this pattern:

I noticed that many 1930s patterns have a belt or some other kind of waist definition, so I feel confident that my sweater is at least remiscent of the 1930s.

I like the left hand sweater (above) a lot, and contemplated pulling out the entire collar section, as it was cast on with picked up stiches, and making a crochet edge with a tie at the neck.  I decided, however, that I didn't really want to pull anything out of the sweater, as my previous experience with dismantling sweaters leads to balls of yarn and no sweater in the end.

I really liked the collar detail on the right-hand sweater (above), as well as the shape of it, and thought I could use the collar on my sweater to imitate the look, but I thought that a tie at the neck and waist would be a bit too busy. 

But on to my sweater:

In my head, it looks pretty bad on me, and I can't decide whether I will keep it or not.  I do like the color a lot, however.  The waist tie does help, and it is very warm, but I wish it didn't make me look so rectangular.  

I know, I know:  foundation garments!!  I also wish the sleeves were a bit looser.  Oddly, it looks better from the back than from the front.

I think if I use this pattern again, I will add some stitches to the sides and sleeves, plus add a tiny bit of length.  I'm short waisted, and this is an appropriate vintage sweater length, but I think another inch would be a wee bit more flattering.  I'm mostly frustrated that I can't find a sweater pattern that looks well on me.  I've just found a book on customizing knitting templates, which I hope will help me to tweak the patterns I have for better fit.

As for reading, nothing much worth writing about.  I just bought Gold Diggers by Charlotte Gray, as it is the book upon which Klondike was based, and I'm curious to know more about the main players in the (true) story.  The mini-series is extremely good, with wonderful cinematography, good writing, and a great cast.  I also love watching Richard Madden--he's really interesting as an actor (although, it must be said, there were a few moments in Klondike where I saw Robb Stark sneak out, but some of that was to do with similar costuming).

What the item is: Mallard blue pullover wool sweater, 1930s-inspired

The Challenge: Blue

Fabric: 100% Superwash DK Wool (Patons)

Pattern: Essential Sweater (on ravelry) with some modifications

Year: 1934 (ish)

Notions: none

How historically accurate is it? So-so. I had intended an aysmetrical collar but it didn't look right in the end, but the small rolled turtleneck top is similar to my inspiration photo, as are the raglan sleeves. I added the crochet cord to cinch the waist since the ribbing looked so weird. The basic shape of the sweater is similar to my inspiration photo, and I made long sleeves because short-sleeved wool sweaters are pretty useless to me in my climate. I should have made the ribbing less wide, and probably should have sized up the sweater a bit and made it a tad longer, as it is snug.

Hours to complete: Most of the month of January, working during naptimes and some evenings. So maybe 30 hours?

First worn: February 2015

Total cost: $35 (I think--I bought the yarn a long time ago and don't remember how much each ball was, but I used about 6.5 balls)

Linking with Ginny for Yarn Along.