# Frazzlehead's Sylvi is DONE and GIFTED!



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

After a year of knitting (off and on, obviously), Sylvi is finally finished.

My sister got her Masters degree today (in Intercultural Studies, from Taylor Seminary here in Edmonton, AB) ... this was the project I chose for her graduation gift. 

I am very happy with the finished work - I don't think I love anyone else enough to knit them a coat, but my sister is the other half of me in so many ways and she is just so awesome and incredible ... and she's always chilly, and I know she'll wear it lots and know, every time she puts her arms in the sleeves, that I love her THAT MUCH.

There are pictures of her getting it today, but I don't have them here (everyone's sharing photos, so I'll have them in a day or two). However, I can now, at long last, publicly unveil the finished object.

Here it is, on me - I'm a bit bigger than my sister (around, we are the same height but she's probably 50 lbs lighter than me, skinny little thing that she is).



















She was stunned absolutely speechless. It was great. 

I gave her our grandmother's New Testament, which somehow had found it's way to my bookcase ... it belongs with her, I think. That brought her to tears (which she rapidly blinked back so as not to mess the makeup!) ... then she opened the sweater. 

A big pile of wool in her lap, she started unfolding it... I said "that's 1.7 km of yarn ... and it's the only one I'm ever making!". I had sent her pictures of knitting eye candy when she was working on term papers and stressing, and one that I'd sent was the Sylvi pattern ... she said "you mean ... it's the one I said you'd be utterly insane to actually knit?"

Yep. That one.

She just stared, open mouthed, at the cables on the back. Then there were pictures and hugs and she said it's going to be on the back of her chair at work and she will wear it LOTS.

She wore it over her lovely grad dress to DQ for Blizzards after dinner. 

Yep, I'm happy.

It is my dearest hope that knitters will stop her in the street and say "Is that a Sylvi??" and that muggles will ask her where she bought it.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Oh my goodness. 

This post actually made me cry. 

Finally, it is finished!!! 
Holy moley is it ever the most beautiful thing!

Of COURSE the knitters will stop her and ask about it!

You are the most awesome sister!
Congratulations on the accomplishment, you rock!!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

AB-SO-LUTE-LY STUNNING!!

gnlskfglsnkfb 

Excuse me, my chin hit the keyboard.

You are the BEST SISTER ever!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Mom just sent me this one - kinda dark, but you can see her smile!










... and her grad cap too.  Matching red tassel and all!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

oh, could i be your sister too? i'm just 4.9' so you don't need as much in the length........ ahem, wait, i need a bit more in the width :teehee:
just awesome
i have seen this pattern before but don't remember where? 
my daughter would love this too.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I will point out that this is the same sister who, when travelling through Ireland, made her husband drive around *looking for sheep farms* so she could knock on their doors and ask for wool. They did come across a farmer outside actually *shearing*, believe it or not, and she ran up to the fence and asked if she could buy some wool from him for her crazy Canadian sister who was a total fibre addict. The farmer grabbed some coming right off the sheep being shorn just then and handed it to her: "That 'nuff?" and refused any payment. He thought it was funny.

She also accosted a yarn store owner in England, insisting that they MUST have some locally produced wool: the lady produced real English wool from "somewhere in the back". She haunted the farmers' market in Lithuania where she lived until she found a lady with skeins of yarn, spun by her own hands at her house in rural Lithuania. 

She is also the person who lives like this every single day of her life.

She lives as God's hands in the world, always. To wrap her in warm wool while she goes about His work is the least I could do.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

For those who are inspired, Sylvi was published in Twist Collective.

It's actually a quicker knit than you'd expect - it's a bit tricky to get good row guage, so it may be somewhat shorter than you think (I added rows to the bottom to make sure it was long enough).


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Gorgeous!

Is it lined?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Nope, unlined. It's very warm just as it is ... it's nearly 3lbs of wool!


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## Michee (Mar 10, 2006)

Absolutely beautiful!


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

Fabulous work! It is stunning. I know she will get lots of compliments while wearing it. Your persistence in knitting is admirable!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

> She lives as God's hands in the world, always. To wrap her in warm wool while she goes about His work is the least I could do


What joy & love she gives to others.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

It's Great and such a Wounderful story.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Thanks all!

Persistence describes it best - it wasn't all that complicated, for the most part, the cables do start to make intuitive sense once you've done a few of them. But the yardage! Soooo much knitting!

Worth it though. Looks so awesome.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Beautiful! Such fine work, and a beautiful product.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

It is beautiful...you are SOME Sis!!!!


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Gorgeous coat. What more can one say?!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I can't say anything any better than anyone else here. I too was brought to tears reading your story. It is always such a great feeling to give a gift that you have worked so hard on and know that the person gets it. You and your sister are lucky to have each other in your lives. Congratulations on finishing the sweater/oat in time and Congratulations to your sister for her degree.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

I am so happy I am not the only one that was in tears! You have a great sister, and you ARE a great sister for knitting this!

I would certainly stop her in the street. I would not only ask where she got it, but would probably want to pet it too!!!!

I looked at that Sylvi pattern. And ran with fear........

Wow! You did good!


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

I cried when I read your story and read about your sister and her big heart. You two truly are sisters. WOW!!! You are a special sister too!!!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

My brother in law posted some more pictures today ...



















I just love the stunned look on her face. 


She sent me this today:

I remember when you showed me the pattern and I thought, "Yeah, it's amazing, but you'd have to be NUTS to try to knit that." Then I was unfolding it in front of me yesterday and just kept thinking, "no...not possible...only someone completely bonkers would knit that!" 

... the oh-so-lovely photos of me demonstrate how gobsmackingly stunned I am! You ARE absolutely bonkers, and awesome, and talented, and generous, and you just plain rock! 

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you 



That's the kind of response we all want when we put our heart into knitting for someone we love, right? She's so awesome. I'm so lucky.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Yep. 

You *DO* rock! 
(told ya.)

That stunned look is PRICELESS.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Two thumbs up and Wow!


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

There are not enough words to describe how beautiful that coat is, and how beautiful you and your sister's relationship is! Awesome!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

> gobsmackingly stunned


That describes her face perfectly!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

More tears <sniff> Great capture of her amazed expression. Everything she said about you is correct. Again you are both lucky to have each other and appreciate it too. What a gift!


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