Back to Elizabeth, if it was me I wouldn't dye the sweater. In my experience, it is incredibly difficult to get an even dye job on a sweater. Dyeing the wool itself is easier because any uneven dye takeup can be dealt with in the knitting.

That blue is absolutely beautiful.
I missed yesterday, I too have a Klaralund to rip and re-knit. Since I am still nursing, my bust is out of proportion to the rest of me. Knitting the right size for the bust ended up in a Klara I could swim in. So mine is getting frogged too.

I am looking forward to your experience making this sweater. i would like to make it as well. The neckline makes me nervous but I look to you for guidance , oh muse! thank you for showing and telling.. a day without blueblog is like a day without sunshine!

I second that nancy! I am a realatively inexperienced knitter and I have learned so much by reading your blog, Alison. You and everyone else out there in blogland have given me so much inspiration and courage! Thank you for all the hardwork you do.

That blue is such a pretty color. Glad the Downy worked, I'm sensitive to softness too. You have such good taste in patterns!

So glad that you're enjoying your new project -- a treat from all the frogging you've been doing!
A year ago, I bought the MODA Impact children's book to knit the cutest jacket w/loop collar and cuffs for my daughter. The jacket was so easy to knit (great instructions and I knit to guage) and was absolutely adorable, EXCEPT I hated the color of the three strands of yarn used (orange/pink/yellow). My daughter worn it once and I received lots of compliments about the "adorable" jacket, but the colors bug me. Tks for sharing your annoyances w/your some of your finished knitted projects!

I just finished my first sweater (well haven't blocked it yet and it does need it) and it's incredibly scratchy. How much downy do you use? I usually avoid the stuff, but desperate times call for desperate measures. :-D

Thanks,

Diana

Thanks everyone. How nice of you all to say that you've learned something following my blog. I'm not a model knitter by any stretch of the imagination. I just try to post what I do. Glad that it has helped some others out there. :)

As for the Downy, I just followed the instructions on the bottle. Some other knitters with more experience made good suggestions in the comments to this post about how to soften knits.