Thursday, August 6, 2015

One Summer Sweater

Two sweaters and one vest were planned for my summer knitting.  So far, one sweater is finished.
It is one long in my queue and I am pleased to have it in a wearable versus ball-of-wool state.



Pattern:   My Valentine by Elizabeth McCarten.

Yarn:  Patons Classic Wool.  Purchased a couple of years ago at the Listowel Yarns    tent sale held every summer in August.  Specially for the sale, they package Patons Classic (normally sold in 100 g balls) in 400 g balls.  The year I purchased mine, the 'big ball' was priced at $12.  Equal to about one third the normal retail.  I bought two big balls and used one and about a third of the second ball.  Cost of the sweater?  About $15. 

Needles:  Although the pattern suggested - and I did start that way -  a bigger than normal needle size to give the sweater 'drape', in the end I used a 4.5mm, a standard size  for  worsted weight yarn.

Mods:  Not many.  The pattern is well written and easy to follow.  I did choose not to put the cable pattern down the back.  For some reason, while centre front cables seem decorative to me,  a stripe of centre- back cable always seem like a  target.

I say not many mods, but truth is,  I guess I am not really sure.  This is a top-down knit and as always with that type of  construction, I  use the pattern to get started with the suggested number of cast on stitches  - and in this case the cable instructions - but after that,  I knit to fit. 

I like a moderately snug underarm on my raglan sweaters.  With top-down knits it is easy to keep trying it on until the underarm is exactly as desired.  Remembering too,  that it is meant for me - a woman -  I stopped increasing a couple of inches shy of desired circumference, then divided  sleeves from body.  Once divided, I supplied the sweater with  those two missing inches through  bust  darts. A simple line of increases that stretch  from underarm  towards the bust.



The trim, the same  at neck, bottom and sleeve cuffs, is a row of purl, a row of knit and a cast off in purl.  A neat and tidy, small trim.  I did mine with  the same 4.5 needle as used for the  body.

I like it. 

A great addition to my winter wardrobe.

6 comments:

Sigrun said...

I like it, too. Very much!!

Anonymous said...

PERFECTO!
t_a

Yarn and Ivories said...

It's beautiful! Sorry about your shortened summer. Hope all goes smoothly!

Linda said...

Beautiful sweater and flattering fit: yeah, Brenda!

LynS said...

This has worked so well - a great fit. I, too, think that cables down the centre back are rather unnecessary.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful sweater, perfect fit!
...Gina C.