(Okay. So . . . it’s yet another Not Knitting post on a Wednesday. But at least this one is about a sweater, so it’s . . . knitting-adjacent.)
Many, many years ago (probably in . . . 2011 or 12?) I found The Perfect Sweater while poking around the Eileen Fisher section of my local Macy’s store. (Just for the record, I always like Eileen Fisher designs, but I don’t tend to fork over the $$$ for Eileen Fisher pieces. And never, ever for full price.)
But this sweater. Oh, man . . .
It was the perfect color, the perfect weight, the perfect cut, the perfect fit, the perfect fiber content (wool + yak with a touch of nylon for wear). It even had these charming little zippers on the sides, which served absolutely no purpose that I could fathom, but were super high quality and looked very cool. The sweater really was perfect in every single way. Except, of course, the price. Which stopped me in my tracks and made me walk on.
But I could not stop thinking about that sweater. It haunted my waking hours. And, ultimately, I decided to spend my entire clothing budget . . . on that one sweater.
And I have never regretted it! Not for one single minute. Because I have worn that thing – a lot (like A LOT a lot) – for all the years since. It is my hands-down favorite sweater ever. It goes with everything. It layers beautifully. I can dress it up; I can dress it down. I have thrown it over t-shirts and dresses, alike. I wear it around the campfire up north. I throw it on over my pajamas in the morning. It’s my comfort-sweater — but it also looks good when I want to wear it out for something a little more dressy. It’s light and it’s warm and it has served as the measuring-model for most of the sweaters I have knit for myself over the years. It has been the Investment Piece with the biggest bang-for-my-buck, for sure. And even after 12 (or maybe 13) years of constant winter wear, it has held up beautifully — and it remains the piece I always grab first when I reach in my closet for something to wear.
And . . . it’s The Sweater (the only sweater) I want to take with me next week on my England adventure.
Although lately, the pilling has started to look pretty tacky, y’know? Like . . . really bad.
So earlier this week, I decided to give my sweater the total spa treatment.
I dug out my sweater “Gleener,” which is one of those tools that works like a charm for its intended purpose . . . but is also one of those tools I can never seem to find when I want it. Anyway. I found it, and under JoJo’s watchful eye, I brought my old-favorite sweater back to like-new condition with a good . . . raking over (Tom calls my Gleener a “rake. . . “).
After a good, long soak and and an even longer stint spent drying on my blocking board, my sweater is ready to head off to England with me next week. Just like new!
It will be so nice to have my trusty old favorite along with me, y’know?
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What’s your most-worn piece of clothing? And how do you keep it in top-notch wearing condition?
I am an Eileen Fisher addict, but I have never bought anything brand new. I buy them all on ebay. I know ebay is a love it or hate it proposition, but I have found I find things there that I would never pay full price for and love just like you love that sweater. BTW, that sweater is perfect! I understand why you love it. I have looked for something to shave my sweaters with, but I have been hesitant. Now I know to get a Gleener! Thanks, Kym, and I hope you are going to enjoy this trip more than you think you will. It’s going to be such a great time to take a very big break from what’s going on.
I knit a Birkin sweater that I wore and repaired and wore and repaired until it was no longer able to go out of the house. My current most worn is my Wool& dress that I just wore for 8 days in a row on my recent trip. Love pieces like that.
That is a bunch of “shavings” from your Gleener but your sweater does look great! I have two alpaca cardigans that are keeping me warm this winter, but they are starting to pill under the arms. I love them and may need to get a Gleener to rake them before I put them away this year. (I may also need JoJo to make sure I do it right!)
That sweater was a great investment! Finding the “right” thing and knowing when to fork over the $$ is a smart move. Wear it well, Kym! AND, have a fabulous time in England.
I had something like that once, may still have it, will write if I remember it. I love your sweater just from your description of it. It looks perfect for England. So glad you could rejuvenate it. Quality is always worth it, if we can only afford it every ten years for full price. I also have a Gleener…somewhere. “Knitting adjacent” – love it!
You did a beautiful job of revitalizing it — if only we could all look brand new with a wash and a little Gleening! It’s impressive for a machine-made sweater to wear so well, so clearly this one was well worth what you spent on it. (Seems like the zippers could come in handy when you need a little ventilation, if you know what I mean!)
Ha! I have a Gleener, too. I ran across it in a random spot a while back, so I knew just where it was when I needed to rejuvenate a pilly hat. Except for t-shirts & things like that, I tend to buy mostly J.Jill or Eileen Fisher pieces (VERY rarely at full price) (EF is hard to find locally these days, though occasionally there’s a lucky strike at a thrift store). Items cost more, but they’re made well with quality materials & last a very long time… and I keep/wear them a long time. My go-to piece right now is a sweatshirt-y thing from Coldwater Creek, bought on a whim a few years ago & I wish I’d bought one in (almost) every color (sometimes their palette is… just not me) — I’d wear it every single day, if I could. For some reason, I spill something on it almost every time I wear it, so a good stain remover helps me keep it looking good. I noticed some fraying recently, so eventually it’ll be relegated to “house wear” — those things are worn until they literally fall apart.
Those zippers are the best!
It’s gonna have so much fun in England!
I think having your favorite sweater with you on your trip will bring you a LOT of comfort. I’m really glad you got her all spiffed up for her travels.
Got love that Gleener. I use mine every Spring when I put away the handknits. Enjoy England.
I have a Lily Brush that has good, but not those great results! I think I need to find a Gleaner!! (And my most worn sweater… the very first Bang Out A Sweater Sweater… it gets all the wear, love, and it is just a fantastic all around sweater!)
Such a great piece Kym! You’re going to have a wonderful adventure together. I have a grey cashmere sweater (Quince $50…great deal) that I wear non stop. I refer to it as the uniform. It’s a little Philly but I have a small screen like thingy that cleans it up nicely. Wishing you a great trip…we’re headed to the FL Keys today. 🙂
Right now, my favorite sweater is a cheapo men’s cardigan I bought about 8 years ago at Kohl’s. It serves every comfort and warmth purpose it needs to, and even occasionally gets washed …
JoJo was probably wondering why you were brushing that non-dog …
Have a wonderful trip!