Freeform Sweater Coat

All winter long I've been looking for the perfect sweater/coat to throw on. Need a black one. Not too heavy. Interesting to look at but easy to throw on. Looks good with everything - casual to dressed up. Can't find it anywhere. Big enough to be comfy - but not oversized and sloppy looking. Sleeves shouldn't be too wide so they don't get in the way. Should be just-below-knee length. Interesting lines, styling. I want it a little more refined than the general freeform crochet I've been doing. I want a coat not an artpiece.

I've gathered up some bits, pieces and skeins of black yarn. Drafted a muslin pattern as the "outline" and have a few ideas of shapes and seamlines. While knitting up the first piece I realized that I want to really keep track of what I've done. The first piece took quite a few go-throughs to get it looking right. Problem in the past has always been I can't remember what I've done - how I got there or how to repeat what I've done. And I never want to take the time to figure it out again. This time I'm going to keep track - take measurements - write down the pattern instructions as I figure them out. And I can keep them all here - so no flipping through bits of paper with notes scribbled that I can't read.

Further thoughts 2/19/08 (from my Ravelry page):

I’m embarking on a new adventure in freeforming. I’d like this next piece to be a more structured, controlled and refined garment using knit and crochet techniques. Sort of controlled reckless abandon! This came into my head because my closet is sadly lacking a fabulous, throw-on-with-anything sweater coat. Sort of a look-at-me-not-the-sadly-underdressed-body-this is-hanging-on.
My design inspiration starts with Tao Kurihara, who from what I can tell made these lingerie-inspired knit pieces back in 2005 and then changed direction completely.
I’m trying to introduce structure, order and discipline into my knitworks, so my plan is to document each piece as I figure it out, keep track of the yarns and pattern notes as I go and then have something to look back on when I want to recreate something I’ve done.