9.15.2009
EZ Was Here
I'm a bit behind on sharing some of the wonderful experiences I've had in the past couple of months -- like, oh I don't know.... the day an original Elizabeth Zimmermann came walking through my door?
¶ 3:39 PM 
Many of you have hopefully already read about the surfacing of this historic garment over at Twist Collective and, if you haven't, don't worry -- I'll be directing you to the good stuff in just a moment.
Back in the spring, the lovely ladies of Twist came a calling with a question: Would I be interested in photographing an Elizabeth Zimmermann sweater that had recently surfaced through an old family friend in New Jersey? I paused momentarily to wonder seriously if I had slipped into one of my many knitting-fantasy-daydreams. When it seemed that, yes, this was actually happening, I mustered all of my self-control in an attempt to respond in a professional manner. "Yes. Yes, that would be fine."
Juuuuust fine.
The sweater, knit with a heathered green, firmly spun, single ply wool, entered the apartment with a palpable silence, and, upon immediate inspection I found myself admiring its industrious, masterful technique. Right away the sheer Integrity with which this sweater was achieved became evident: not just its obvious cleverness, or knitterly construction (EZ's Hallmark) but rather the serendipitous balance of tenacity and care that is so clearly present as your eyes maneuver over mitered hems, prim buttonholes and directional details.
At that point I muttered to myself something colossally obvious yet seemingly so epiphanous: "Elizabeth could really knit!"
Sunday Holm recreated the sweater after it was presented to her at a New Jersey LYS by Joan Morhard Smith, a childhood neighbor and friend of Elizabeth and Arnold. Read Sunday's account of decoding and re-knitting the original here, and Joan Morhard Smith's recollections of Elizabeth ("Betty") here.
What a pleasure to spend an afternoon with this sweater and its re-incarnated version. I was truly grateful for the experience.
The original sweater, so well-worn after two generations of love and adoration under Joan's roof, is a testament to the lasting power of good materials, good technique, and a good home -- all the ingredients for Knitting's finest heirlooms. Elbow holes aside (which I find make the sweater even more endearing, if that's possible) this garment has taken its ardent wearers through two lifetimes with strength and grace. What could be better than that?
Among the other appreciations this garment conjured up that day, it incited me to reflect on one of our loftiest and most noble knitting aspirations -- to spend a life making beautiful, lasting, technique-rich garments whose value and worth can never diminish.
Adding to the the thousands of times I've uttered these same words before in my life, both privately and publicly: Thank you, Elizabeth.
Comments:
From Irene(www.irenesoptegnelser.blogspot.com)
That cardigan makes me feel that in all the time I've spent knitting I haven't learnt very much at all; it's so beyond what I do that it hardly deserves the same name. Beautiful.
The EZ? Just goes to show that classic lines and simple Style (yes with a capital S) make a thing last and last.
Juuuuuuust fine.
Oh, and for those who are dying to knit it: her daughter Meg is supposedly going to make the pattern available through Schoolhouse Press as soon as it's ready.
You have a fanstastisk inspirational page.
Beautiful pictures and captivating text.
Thank you for letting us participate.
Kris
I too am wondering a new pattern will be published. It would be rather exciting.
Rita
Those sleeves, so beautifully constructed.
What reverential joy you must have had photographing it all!
Janice in Southeastern WI
Thanks for mentioning it's 1 ply tightly spun - I just started spinning:) The sleeves are amazing. Eyes are peeled for the SHP pattern (even if it's a bit above skill levels...)!
Yes I'm planning on making this. Pure elagance.
Such an excellent post, and I'm so glad they asked you to photograph the sweater.
I'm very thankful that you posted, because I don't normally read Twist Collective, and may have missed this otherwise.
As a creative director for a photography studio can I comment that your photos were absolutely beautiful, you would make EZ smile with pleasure!
Beautiful Photos Jared, and I love your book too!
Beautiful photos, Jared. Again, you take my breath away with your images.
Though I must say the one photo of it on the mannequin startled me for a second...
Melissa Levrets
Recently, I started EZ's basic, garter Moebius, a daydreamer's daydream of a project. Every stitch is an hommage to and celebratin of the life of this marvelous woman who transformed a cottage craft into high art.
Absolutely SO true. This is a very important philosophy, especially nowadays as we find ourselves in the height of consumerism. This is a positively beautiful sweater, thanks for sharing! Love the button choice, also!
http://the-second-look.blogspot.com
I hope you can overcome my bad English! I am Brazilian and I can not express myself very well in English, something that often leaves me frustrated.
Anyway, someone above asked if you believe in reincarnation.
I do not know.
But when I see your finished and unfinished projects, such care, such dedication to the art of knitting, one could not recognize at least one blessing of our beloved Elizabeth Zimmermann.
I really believe it.
I had to laugh about people wearing a sweater to bits because they love it so much. My ex husband has a real pure mohair sweater I made him back in 1965 - my daughter says he still wears it and won't part with it......hmmmmmm - what does this mean ? LOL! Are you on Ravelry Jared ? Or do you just use this blog and website?
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I read that article - do you think the lady that re - produced this sweater will be sharing the pattern? or is it to be one of a kind!
Jared, you are the perfect person for this garment to have shared the afternoon with! You captured the essence, as well as the lovely details. Thank you for posting this treasure ~Nell
Oh - I would love to knit this cardigan! It´s so beautiful! Thank you Jared for sharing this with a danish EZ-fan! And your photos are great!
From Irene(www.irenesoptegnelser.blogspot.com)
I was fascinated when I read about this in Twist. How wonderful to get another peek at it. Your photos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Oh how lucky you are! That does indeed look like a beautiful knitted item to spend the day with. I love that shade of green, so calming!
I loved reading the articles, but I loved your quiet and understated commentary even more. It just fills me with hope seeing something this beautiful and lasting and knowing that it is possible for all knitters if we just take our time and a bit of care.
That's incredible!! Wow, really seriously ~ wow. What an amazing piece of knitting EZ history. Your photos are beautiful. :)
Yes, Elizabeth could really knit, and you can really write, and take a rather good snap. Lovely post.
That cardigan makes me feel that in all the time I've spent knitting I haven't learnt very much at all; it's so beyond what I do that it hardly deserves the same name. Beautiful.
Amazing--I'd read the article and looking at the pictures again I'm even more impressed by the work. That takes a good knitter *and* a good photographer!
Well Jared I can imagine your own garments becoming revered works of art, lusted after by future young knitters.
The EZ? Just goes to show that classic lines and simple Style (yes with a capital S) make a thing last and last.
Thanks! I read this and teared up a little. Lovely sentiments and Joan is a wonderful writer too. I have been studying and knitting EZ since I was pretty young. All of her books mean a lot to me and I can't wait for the day when I have the time and stamina to knit everything she has designed.
Thank you for the lovely photographs and wonderful post. I remember when I visited the British Museum and there was Jane Eyre in Charlotte Bronte's own handwriting. Shivers went down my spine. I'm sure I'd have felt the same in the presence of a genuine EZ. I'm excited for the pattern to be re-published. It's such an interesting yet classic sweater.
Freak! You are soooo right . . . that lady could knit! I could quite easily go snap all my needles in half! :) thank you for that glimpse of a craft well-honed.
Yes, yes indeed.
Juuuuuuust fine.
Oh, and for those who are dying to knit it: her daughter Meg is supposedly going to make the pattern available through Schoolhouse Press as soon as it's ready.
How lovely to see your beautiful photos of that heirloom again! I enjoyed reading the articles on Twist Collective's latest edition, and I so enjoyed the pictures. I, too, am looking forward to Meg publishing the pattern through Schoolhouse Press.
I loved reading the articles about this wonderful sweater and hadn't realized that you took the gorgeous pictures! Thanks for helping share such a wonderful story
wow.. a moment of silence...goosebumps....and awe inspiring ooh's and awh's. You did a remarkable job in presenting it to us. Thank you.
A real honour for you and you have done it proud with your wonderful photography! This is proof that knitwear really is timeless :)
So beautiful!
You have a fanstastisk inspirational page.
Beautiful pictures and captivating text.
Thank you for letting us participate.
Kris
Thank you for your lovely images and article. I had not seen the Twist Collective articles before reading your post.
I too am wondering a new pattern will be published. It would be rather exciting.
Once I got over my awe at the history of this sweater, what also struck me is that the design, despite how old it is, would still fit perfectly in the modern day. My first thought, when looking at it from the design perspective, was "I'd wear that." This is true for so many of her patterns - not only was she a master of technique, but she had some mad design skills too. And we are all the better for it.
How lovely for you to get to photograph and see and feel it, Jared! Lovely photos. Beautiful garment. Fabulous knitting.
Thanks be to Elizabeth! And to you for another excellent post with pictures to capture the elegance and quality of this wonderfully knitted garment!
Rita
Not to be obvious (and redundant), but that is beautiful! The sweater itself is gorgeous and your photography, as always, is sublime. Thank you for sharing this with us.
It's been a very long time since I stopped, completely caught up in not one but two interlinked blog posts - but between your post and Sunday's post you captured me completely. Beautiful serene photos and commentary - the life slowly breathed back into a piece and let loose for us all to admire and delight in.
Those sleeves, so beautifully constructed.
What reverential joy you must have had photographing it all!
So deserving, Jared that you were the photographer. I read the story on Twist and was in awe of the whole process. The original sweater belongs in a Knitting Museum.
Jared, what an excellent post. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous photos and for linking to the articles about Joan and Sunday's recreation of an EZ original. Fantastic!
Beautiful sweater! I can't wait for the pattern. The story is amazing, just like kniting.
Janice in Southeastern WI
So inspiring! A Ravelry Big 6 post brought me over & just lifted my spirits!
Thanks for mentioning it's 1 ply tightly spun - I just started spinning:) The sleeves are amazing. Eyes are peeled for the SHP pattern (even if it's a bit above skill levels...)!
I loved the story of how this came to you, your reverence and awe over it, and the lovely photos you took. Your pictures captured the sweater's essence. I think of myself as a rather good knitter, but I'm a beginner when compared to EZ's phenomenal work. What an awesome experience for you, and for us in reading about it! Thank you! Sandy
Fabulous! So appropriate that they asked you to be the photographer. Last Spring, Jared? How could you wait so long to post? I would have been just busting out to tell the world! You have proven to be the Master of Restraint. Juuuust fine. Thanks so much for sharing!
Lovely. Though I have a question concerning the centering of the decreases for the sleeve. Are they centered exactly on the shoulder seam or offset? You can't really tell from the photo of the sleeve.
Yes I'm planning on making this. Pure elagance.
Dream come true!!
Such an excellent post, and I'm so glad they asked you to photograph the sweater.
I'm very thankful that you posted, because I don't normally read Twist Collective, and may have missed this otherwise.
I've been ooogling that sweater since first viewing Twist, it is LOVELY. I wanted to knit it then and want to knit it now. A lot. No doubt this will be a big ole' buzz!
As a creative director for a photography studio can I comment that your photos were absolutely beautiful, you would make EZ smile with pleasure!
it takes my breath away it is so beautiful. your photographs make me feel so close it seems i am almost wearing it myself. thanks for this post.
What an amazing and precious experience! I can't believe how beautiful it is... yet I'm not surprised - it is EZ afterall.
You are so lucky to be in the presence of a wonderful EZ sweater. Thank you for sharing the experience.
How perfect for you to be asked to photograph this treasure. I know from the many beautiful knits you have created either directly from EZ's patterns or inspired by her style, how very much you honor her legacy. This is a particularly impressive EZ sweater and I am thrilled that Schoolhouse is going to release the pattern!! Yeah!
Beautiful Photos Jared, and I love your book too!
I'm glad you were the one to take the pictures. This sweater deserves to be done justice in that way. It really made me catch my breath at first glance. Just so very EZ genius to create a bell shape sleeve cap by putting the decreases in the middle. So like her to think of something so elusive and obvious at the same time. Once you know 'how it's done' you can only wonder why that hasn't been entirely the norm for the last 40 years already. AWESOME sweater, AWESOME picures, both here and on TC. Can't stop looking (and I've looked at least once every single day since it came on line). Thanks for the fabulous blog.
OMG I have tingles down my spine just reading about this, I dont think I would have remained conscious if I had held the precious cardigan in my hands. What a magical story- cant wait for the pattern. Fabulous photos as usual, did you have to use a tripod, lol
BTW I have wool that I can use for the new pattern, in a very similar colour. I got it from Lanark Yarns in Scotland, UK
Stunning!! Just breathtaking. The worn elbows show how much that sweater was (is) loved.
Beautiful photos, Jared. Again, you take my breath away with your images.
How very lucky you are, and how lucky for us that you were asked to photograph it. Talk about one artform commenting on another.
Though I must say the one photo of it on the mannequin startled me for a second...
Thanks for the additional photos. The Twist article was such a tease! I am hoping the pattern for this sweater might be available some day.
Oh. Wow. Aren't those sleeves amazing?? Such a clean design and so timeless. Nice job on the photography!
I can't tell you how much I smiled reading your article! I felt such joy for you that you could experience such a wonderful treasure! I told my husband, who know how I love EZ and your designs and blog. He jumped up off the couch to catch a look at this discovered sweater. To get a non-knitter to be so excited by what some would just call an old sweater really says something! The article and photographs are beautiful on the Twist collective website. I eagerly await the pattern! Congratulations on your being the chosen photographer! A perfect match! Oh, and congrats on your new book! I see references to it often. The cover is in the new pattern works catalogue. Well deserved success to you Jared!
Melissa Levrets
I too encountered that sweater and must admit that I was teary eyed the entire time. I still cannot believe I touched an original EZ! Your pictures are gorgeous.
Boy, could she knit. Awesomeness itself. Totally happy to hear Schoolhouse press is going to release a pattern!
You're right--the holes in the elbows are endearing. I've always thought the best compliment a knitter could ever get is when the recipient wears it into such a worn-out state.
Its gorgeous, and truly a testament to her talents and crafstmenship that it endured two wearers. Like all EZ patterns it has a timelessness--you would never know that this garment wasn't knit using a modern pattern. And as always, gorgeous photos.
The photography is simply stunning. The piece is wonderful...I especially love the elbows as they tell their own story of being loved and worn, over and over, which is tribute to any sweater. Beautiful.
This is a surprisingly moving story and your photographs are lovely. I actually have originals of Elizabeth's "Newsletter & Leaflet" number 1, and 4-22. She offered them for 25 cents each. Leaflet thirteen still has two yarn samples taped to it of wool she had to offer. They originally belonged to my grandma, an amazing knitter in her own rite. Thank you.
I love to knit but, unfortunately, am not very good at it (and not getting any better over time). Knitting is for daydreaming, not counting stitiches.
Recently, I started EZ's basic, garter Moebius, a daydreamer's daydream of a project. Every stitch is an hommage to and celebratin of the life of this marvelous woman who transformed a cottage craft into high art.
"The original sweater, so well-worn after two generations of love and adoration under Joan's roof, is a testament to the lasting power of good materials, good technique, and a good home."
Absolutely SO true. This is a very important philosophy, especially nowadays as we find ourselves in the height of consumerism. This is a positively beautiful sweater, thanks for sharing! Love the button choice, also!
http://the-second-look.blogspot.com
Your pictures really do this sweater justice...I love the pictures of the worn out elbows...they make me want to wear my hand-knits a bit more instead of hiding them away for special occasions. Thank you for your thoughtful blogging about knitting. I come here often to get inspiration...
Hi there! I am new to knitting and was sent to your wonderful blog by a friend (Bee House Hives). I just learned of EZ and was up half the night reading her book 'Knitting Around' from the library. Completely enchanting!! Then to learn of your wonderful post about the sweater this morning. What a treasure. Thank you so very much...
Ow, Jared!
I hope you can overcome my bad English! I am Brazilian and I can not express myself very well in English, something that often leaves me frustrated.
Anyway, someone above asked if you believe in reincarnation.
I do not know.
But when I see your finished and unfinished projects, such care, such dedication to the art of knitting, one could not recognize at least one blessing of our beloved Elizabeth Zimmermann.
I really believe it.
Thank you for this wonderful posting - what a moment! Your photographs really were clever, they showed us everything that we wanted to see. Fantastic design and the style is so modern even after all these years. I am looking forward to the pattern too.
I had to laugh about people wearing a sweater to bits because they love it so much. My ex husband has a real pure mohair sweater I made him back in 1965 - my daughter says he still wears it and won't part with it......hmmmmmm - what does this mean ? LOL! Are you on Ravelry Jared ? Or do you just use this blog and website?
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