Nov 17 2008
Annual-Lolly
Francis Revisited
Pattern: Francis Revisted by Beth Silverstein (free pattern link to Ravelry)
Yarn: Wool/Alpaca/Silk blend cone
Source: School Products, NYC
Needles: Size US 7 and US 9
[All photos of Francis here]
I started this sweater on November 2nd for the NaKniSweMo knitalong, and I bound off only eleven days 
later. Such a quick and simple knit! the thing that took the longest? washing and blocking her. I soaked the sweater to soften up the wool and laid her out on the blocking board. I left to go to Atlanta for a few days, and when I got back last night, she was *still* wet. Luckily, by the end of the fourth day, she was dry enough for a little photoshoot! Voila!
The yarn was from a large cone that I bought in New York City last April. There was a sign on the table that designated the cones as a wool/alpaca/silk blend, but I think it was pretty heavy on the wool, and maybe even absent of silk. The washing and blocking brought out a little fuzzy halo, which made me wonder if it had a little mohair in it too. The cone itself was not labeled with fibers or yardage, and since it was sold in bulk I guess there is no way to really know! Either way, it was a nice yarn, and I still have about 500 yards – maybe more - for a colorwork project. No shortage of patterns to chose from on that front!
The pattern was such an enjoyable knit that I am already thinking of all sorts of variations and options for future Francises. After I finish up a few presents and my current WIP (I decided on the Bloom vest and I am already a few inches in!) I may very well start
another version of this, slightly altering the gauge to suit some nice blue alpaca blend I have in the stash. There were a few minor things that I changed in the pattern. I chose to do a kfb increase rather than the m1 increase that the pattern called for… the m1 left a small hole. I could have gone and tidied it up afterward, but I preferred the look of the other. If you decide to knit this, you can decide which look you want. When I got to the cowl collar, I contemplated making a regular turtleneck instead of the oversized neck. In the end I chose the cowl, and I like it on this particular piece, but this is definitely a sweater that can be modified in the neckline – easy to “turtleneck-ify” as well as “funnel-ify” or even “crew-ify”. You could play around with textures (seed, ribbing, etc.) to create the look you want. I chose to make my sleeves 3/4-length, but it would also look great with full sleeves. I did not do as many increases as the pattern specified as I didn’t want too much of a bell sleeve. (Bell sleeves have gotten me in to trouble more than once… especially in the kitchen) Changing from the stockinette to seed on the cuff, I did one single increase for an ever-so-slight bell effect.
I totally recommend this pattern; it is perfect for beginners as well as more experienced knitters who want a basic form to elaborate and embellish. And it is SO quick! Great for stashbusting as it uses a relatively small amount of yarn for a sweater because it is knit on larger gauge needles.
Plus, it comes just in time for the chilly winter temperatures! The deep cowl is cozy and warm, and the texture of the stockinette and seed stitch really works well together.
I have some pretty photos to show you of my Atlanta excursion… we managed to have a lovely time even though it rained and the skies were gray. Stay tuned!
…do I look older than when you last saw me? I celebrated my birthday last Saturday 
Geez, that almost seems like cheating, knitting a NaNiSweMo sweater in only 11 days!
Congrats! It looks great — looks like a nice color for you, too. And, happy belated birthday!
You don’t look even one day older! Hope you had a happy birthday!
The sweater is lovely! I really need to make a cowl neck sweater…I used to love them and I haven’t had one in years.
Beautiful! Green is a fabulous color on you!
Happy Birthday! That sweater is gorgeous, and you look great in it!
Belated happy birthday!
The sweater looks fabulous on you! Great job, Lolly!
Lolly! OMG, I just cast on for this over the weekend. Only one sleeve and the cowl to go. You’re not kidding it’s fast! Yours looks fab! A good birthday sweater! Happy birthday!
Happy belated birthday!!!
Beautiful as always! You look great in green, too
So cute! The colour is the best part. And the cowl. And the sleeve length. Perfect.
Great sweater – the cut and colour look great on you!
Looks fabulous on you!
Francis looks gorgeous on you! And the color is super flattering to your fair hair and skin.
Happy belated birthday!
It looks wonderful on you! Happy birthday!
Happy birthday beautiful girl! You look stunning in the pics. Great sweater too!
What a beautiful sweater! It looks very warm!
Happy belated birthday!
A belated Happy Birthday! You look very nice in Francis, not a bit older…
More belated birthday wishes!
The sweater is superb. What a fantastic reminder of the beauty of simplicity. The colour couldn’t be better on you, and the shaping is just so flattering. Perfect!
Happy Birthday, Lolly! You look beautiful in your new sweater.
Happy birthday! This looks like one of those perfect sweaters that will get worn all the time, plus the colour could not be better on you. Love!
Happy Birthday, beautiful you!
The sweater looks PERFECT on you…
and you look happy, HAPPY!
All the best for another marvelous year!
That sweater is fab. u. lous. And the color is divine!
It looks great!!! And happy birthday, lovely girl!
Happy Birthday Lolly!!
The sweater is beautiful!
What a gorgeous sweater! I love the color. And you look so thin!
Francis looks amazing! What a terrific colour. And happy belated birthday! Your’s must be the day before my son’s, he turned 5 on the 16th.
That green looks fantastic on you. I still have a cowl and a sleeve left on mine. This sweater is such a quick knit.
Happy belated birthday! The sweater is beautiful (but you already knew that).
Happy Belated Birthday! The sweater looks lovely on you.
You look absolutely radiant, lady! The sweater looks great too. Happy birthday!
the sweater looks great Lolly! when you blogged about Francis Revisited before I thought about making one too — and now I definitely will — perhaps in January or February. Maybe in a brown or purple tweed..
Happy birthday!
It’s so very cute! You have gotten my interest up for cowl neck sweaters. Hmmm….
Happy Birthday, too!
You are so dang cute!!! What a fantastic sweater – great photographs!!
Echoing the many who have noted how lovely the color is on you! Great choice! And thanks for pointing out this pattern – I really like it, and may make one for myself in 09! I have ripped the last several sweaters I began for myself simply because they were just not quite what I wanted… but Francis might be!
and a very happy birthday to you!
I haven’t been tempted by too many sweater patterns lately, but this one might get added to the queue. I can’t believe how fast you knit it! I really like the seed stitch at the cuffs and cowl.
Such a pretty sweater! I love the way it looks! Great pictures to. Happy belated Birthday!
Beautiful!! That color looks amazing on you!
Happy Birthday! Did you do anything exciting?
Older! No…way younger;) You look fabulous, really. You are inspiring me to get back on my “healthy eating” and also to knit a simple great looking sweater! I love the cowl neck. I am definitley knitting this!
Thanks carolyn
happy belated!! and like i said over the flickr pool: that sweater? love (infinity!)
This looks great! I love the color you picked and the cowl neck looks so cozy!
Ooh, I love that sweater! It looks beautiful and extremely flattering. Wear it well and happy birthday.
Wow — what an amazing piece <>. Love the color too!
I love this. I realized last night I even have yarn in the stash that will work really well, so I can’t wait to cast-on! Perhaps after I finally finish seaming Jason’s Engagement Sweater. Happy belated!
That’s gorgeous Lolly! The colour looks great on you
Beautiful sweater! I think this one has changed my mind about cowl necks. I’m considering knitting one for myself . . .
Happy belated birthday Lolly! Beautiful new sweater!
well done! it’s a great color on you. i’m nixing the bell sleeves, too, in favor of elbow-length ones.
happy belated birthday!!
Happy Birthday!
Nope, you don’t look older, just stunningly beautiful in that awesome sweater!
I love it so much!
Happy Birthday!
The color looks fantastic on you. And I bet you will wear this sweater alot. Nice, simple design, very flattering.
Happy Birthday! The sweater looks fantastic.
So pretty — I LOVE the color!
That sweater looks great! Really well done.
You are going to inspire me to pick up my Bloom again… I put it down nearly 2 years ago and haven’t gone back to it. Just distracted with other projects I guess.
Happy birthday darling!
Happy Birthday!!! Love the color and design! Perfect color for your eyes!
gorgeous, from the sweater, to you to our birthday! I am so full of excitement!
I wish you all the best this year!! YEA!
happy 28th!! (right?) the sweater is so beautiful, lolly. i can’t say enough good things about the color and how awesome it looks on you. congrats!!
Happy birthday Lolly! This is just gorgeous on you!
Your sweater is so beautiful! I love everything about it – the color, the simplicity, that gorgeous cowl neck – I’m adding it to queue….
This is the perfect color for you. Just beautiful.
And Happy Birthday!!!
Happy, happy birthday! And you look beautiful in the sweater—the perfect shape, the perfect color. Congrats on finishing already!
That is just beautiful on you! Great fit, amazing color — it’s perfect! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!
Oh, don’t you just look beautiful and happy!
Yeah, bell sleeves in the kitchen… not such a good thing.
Happy Birthday!
It’s gorgeous, dear! You did such a good job with this one!
Beautiful! And what a great color on you!!
I love it! Great color on you….stunning!
Happy (late) Birthday!
what a great color on you Lolly! finding the right shade of colors can be tricky for blondes, but i think this looks fabulous. i have this pattern in my queue just waiting for some yummy yarn. now that i’ve read your ‘review’ i am more excited to try it out. i love your mods too!
Happy Birthday Lolly!
Gorgeous sweater! Frances Revisited has been in my Ravelry Queue for a while. I just moved it to the top!
Great sweater, L! Gotta love the raglans. I haven’t tried to knit a cowl neck yet, but I love them on the sweater’s I’ve bought at stores.
happy belated birthday! you don’t look older, but you do look very happy! love the color of francis – you wear it well.
That looks so pretty on you!
Happy birthday, and nice work on the sweater! It is lovely, and I now covet one myself … thanks for a new addition to my Ravelry queue!
I already said it on flickr, but WOW – this is just so amazing on you. Super color, fantastic fit, lovely style. So beautiful.
And happy birthday!!!
it’s perfect lolly! the color, the style, the fit, everything! congratulations!
OH I love it! The color is awesome on you!
It looks great! And I hope to start my own really soon.
Ack! I love it! It looks so gorgeous on you! Oh and so comfy too. I want one like that! Happy birthday, too. ^_^
Happy birthday! may you have many happy returns!
Thanks so much for the pattern recommendation. I recently reclaimed some worsted-weight yarn from the first sweater I ever knit (!!!) – I decided nostalgia was overrated when it was represented in a poorly fitting sweater, took some good photos to remember it by, and now I have 900 yards of “new” wool to use – this is the perfect pattern!
Happy Birthday! Your sweater looks stunning!
You and the sweater look sensational! Happy Belated Birthday!
I missed wishing you a Happy Birthday!! That sweater is fabulous! I looks cozy, soft and so wonderful (I want one!).
Lovely photos. Sweater is very flattering on you and the colour is just so you! Happy Birthday dear girl!
I absolutely love this- the color, the construction, everything! And it looks perfectly gorgeous on you. Happy Birthday, pretty lady!
Simply outstanding. The color and style suit you so well! Very pretty.
It looks wonderful on you and the green is perfect. I hope you had a very happy wonderful birthday!
That sweater is lovely! I don’t think anything came home with me from School Products the one time I visited – now I wish I’d looked harder! FWIW, the 100% alpaca mittens and the alpaca sweater I’ve knitted have a pretty hefty halo, so it might be that rather than some mohair snuck in there.
And very happy birthday wishes!
Hi Lauren, sorry, I’ve not posted for a very long while, but only stopped by your blog today after a long while. And, I have to say your looking really fabulous.
Is it that greens your colour, or you’ve done something to your hair. It can’t possibly be that your a year older. Anyway, great catching up. Estee x
Ooh lovely!
Goodness me – I loved this pattern when you said you were starting – now? It’s all I can I do not to throw over the Christmas knits and start straight away – December 25th I’ll be casting on. Beautiful work and a belated happy birthday
)
This is a truly classic pattern. It looks great on you, espcially in that colour.
btw…love how you ‘crew-ify’ and ‘funnel-ify’. Lily and I usually ‘-icate’ everything!
Its a fabulous knit Lolly. You look lovely, not a day older. Happy belated birthday wishes! xx
Hallo Lolly,
dein Pullover sieht sehr gut aus. Steht dir hervorragend!
Liebe Grüße
Theresia
How lovely – it look like a perfect sweater!
it’s extremely lovely on you. happy belated birthday!
First, happy belated birthday again!
OMG – this FO is just awesome. I queued Francis last week because I am thinking something cowl-y for winter. The color is just great on you, too.
We had so much fun last night. Bill joked that even though I didn’t know much of the band’s stuff, meeting you and Kris was worth the price of admission for me! He’s right!
It’s an absolutely stunning sweater – the color and fit are just fabulous on you. Yet another successful NaKniSweMo for you!
You don’t look older, but you sure look more glamorous in those photos!
Happy belated birthday, Lolly! You don’t look any older to me, just plain gorgeous
That sweater looks so lovely on you…and what a quick knit!
Looks gorgeous…and Happy belated Birthday!
Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!!!
Happy belated birthday! Francis looks great.
happy belated birthday, lolly!
you look gorgeous in your new sweater… that color is perfect for you! congrats on an amazingly quick knit too
xo
I’m later than late to the party, as I’m slowly catching up on things after having been crazy busy lately, but I wanted to wish you a belated happy birthday. May the year ahead be beautiful and inspiring! I hope that it will be a good one for you health-wise too.
Francis is gorgeous, the garment and the colour you’ve chosen fit you very well!
Lovely! Happy Belated B-Day! Love the color!
That is definitely your color. It looks great!!!