So, I suppose everyone has a favorite ratty old
sweater.  Mine is a cashmere cardigan the
color of pancake batter.  And it has
become a little worse-for-wear around the elbows – probably since my usual
knitting posture has me digging my left elbow into the arm of my leather chair
while my right is braced against my thigh. 

I would probably just ignore the holes, but they are getting
bigger and threatening the stability – and perhaps the very existence of – the
sleeves.  I have tried mending and
darning, but the fibers themselves just cannot hold up against this kind of
wear.

The family has complained that I look like a crazy cat woman
(the cat on the back of my chair probably only adds to the illusion…) and the breeziness
through the widening holes was becoming irksome.   So, I began looking for a replacement
sweater, but nothing I found was just right – and as cashmere sweaters are
pricey, I have been holding out for “just right.” 

Then, it occurred to me: 
why not make elbow patches?  Why
not KNIT elbow patches?  A quick rooting
through my stash unearthed some variegated sock yarn that was “just
right.”  And after a few trial-and-error
runs, I got the stitch count, pattern, and shaping “just right.” 

Now, my favorite old sweater is “just right” – okay still a little cat-lady-ratty, but without my
elbows poking through it is respectable enough to wear at home.  And with these natty ribbed patches, I think
it has a shabby chic quality about it – the kind one finds at Anthropologie!