Blueberry Hill Crafting

Posts Tagged with sweater

Petticoat lace cardigan

Lace petticoat cardigan 1

This one took a while, but I’m happy with the results and I like how it’s different than most of my other cardigans.  It should be perfect to wear in spring/summer – my next task is to sew a pencil skirt to wear with it.  I like the color better than in the pictures – it’s a really difficult color to photograph!

Lace petticoat cardigan 2

Pattern:  Lake Effect

Yarn:  Plucky Lodge Fingering (60% merino / 20% cotton / 10% silk / 10% flax) – 3 skeins (430 yds/ea) in color Petticoat

Needles:  US 4s and US 2s (for ribbing)

Size:  38 1/2″

Mods:  I stopped the sleeve decreases at 60 sts – I think if I’d gone down to the 48 sts called for in the pattern, I would have barely been able to get my arms through!

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I liked the lace pattern used for the sweater, and it kept the knitting interesting, although I would add that you have to really be able to read your stitches and understand how the lace pattern works, because as you do the decreases throughout the pattern, it messes up your count and you have to adapt to keep the lace pattern consistent.  I found this particularly hard when doing the short rows for the sleeve caps.

I love how the color takes on this yarn base, and how it feels – light and not too soft or wooly, it’s the perfect spring/summer yarn.

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Getty pullover

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The perfect lightweight spring pullover – such a cool stitch texture, and I love these two yarns double-stranded together :)

Pattern:  Getty (ShibuiKnits SS17) by Shellie Anderson

Yarn:  Shibui Knits Twig (46% linen / 42% recycled silk / 12% wool) – 4 skeins (190 yds/ea) in Ivory, and Shibui Knits Cima (70% superbaby alpaca / 30% fine merino) – 3 skeins (328 yds/ea) in Ivory

Needles:  US 8s and US 7s

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Size:  Small (to fit bust 34.5″, finished dimensions 38.5″) – I couldn’t quite get gauge, even after going down a needle size, so I went down one sweater size.  The result = perfect fit!

Notes:  Yarn is knit double-stranded throughout.

Mods:  There was no finishing for the neckline, and I thought it looked a little odd, especially where the cast-off stitches showed, so I picked up stitches around and then immediately bound off, which gave it just a little more of a finished edge.

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Magnolia spring weight cardigan

Magnolia spring weight cardigan 1

Pattern:  Shibui Knits Siena Cardigan by Shellie Anderson

Yarn:  Shibui Knits Reed (100% linen) – 4 skeins (246 yds/ea) in color Imperial, and Shibui Knits Lunar (60% extra fine merine / 40% mulberry silk) – 3 skeins (401 yds/ea) in color Imperial

Size:  Medium (to fit bust 36.5″ – finished bust circumference is 44″ and finished back length to shoulder is 25.5″)

Needles:  US 9s and US 7s

Magnolia spring weight cardigan 2

I loved this project – relatively quick, ingenious construction, a perfect combination of yarns with silk for softness, sheen, and drape, and linen for structure.  It’s a little oversize, but that’s the way it fits best, and it’s the perfect weight for spring and summer.  I wish I had time (and patience) to knit more in other colors, there are so many beautiful Shibui Knit colors that would be perfect for this cardigan!

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Alfalfa cardigan

Alfalfa cardigan 1

This was a test knit for the amazing Thea Coleman of Baby Cocktails – it is the most challenging of a set of three patterns, and it does not go quickly, but the FO is stunning!  Stone Wool is the perfect yarn for this pattern because of its squishy yet structured texture – it really shows off the honeycomb stitch and makes this cardigan both snuggly and light.  If you’re looking to push your knitting skills to the next level and end up with a cardigan you’ll wear to death and love for years, I recommend this one :)

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Pattern:  Vodka with a Twist

Yarn:  Stone Woo Cormo in colorway Alfalfa 02 (8 skeins)

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Needles:  US 7s and US 8s

Size:  40″ – this would usually be a little large for me, but I got exactly the fit I was looking for – not oversized at all, just comfy, with good front coverage.

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Watkins Cardigan in Brooklyn Tweed browns and blue

Watkins 1

I love how my second Watkins turned out even better than my first.  Double-stranded Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is pretty dead-on in terms of gauge, and once it’s wet-blocked, the stitches smooth out and it feels lofty and cozy at the same time.  I think I like the color combinations and the feel of the fabric knitted up in Brooklyn Tweed even better than in Puffin!

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Pattern:  Watkins by Whitney Hayward

Yarn:  Brooklyn Tweed Shelter (held double-stranded throughout) – MC Fossil (10 skeins) and CCs Tartan, Barn Owl, and Pumpernickel (2 skeins ea)

Needles:  US 10s (ribbing), US 11s (body), and US 13s (colorwork)

Size:  41 1/4″

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Before blocking, the cardigan fit nearly perfect; after it was blocked, it felt a little large all over, even though I was very careful not to let it stretch when it was wet.  When it was still barely damp, I tossed it in a hot dryer for approximately 15 minutes – this helped tighten up all of the stitches and shrunk it enough to get a better fit.  The sleeves are still too long, requiring that I cuff them, and I could have gone for just a little smaller in terms of length, but overall, I like the fit.  If I were to knit it again in BT, I’d probably go one size smaller, although the size jumps are so big that I’d be a little nervous doing so . . . however, BT can really stretch when blocked, so that would probably allow me to adjust if it came out a little too tight-fitting.

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The one pattern edit I would really like to make is to add pockets – my hands keep reaching for them whenever I wear the cardigan :)  I just can’t figure out how I would do it and not mess up the look of the colorwork . . . it would be easy enough to knit up after-the-fact patch pockets, but if they were knit in one color, they’d ruin the colorwork, and I’m not sure I could knit them so that they matched perfectly the colorwork they’d be covering.  Any ideas out there?

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SnowFlower Pullover

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This pattern knit up so beautifully in Stone Wool’s gorgeous colors!

Pattern:  SnowFlower by Heidi Kirrmaier

Yarn:  Stone Wool Cormo – MC in Slate 01 (5 skeins) and CCs in Slate 02, Ozark 01, Ozark 03, and Scoured (each less than one skein)

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Needles:  US 7s and US 6s (ribbing) – I thought at first I’d have to go down a needle size to get gauge, but this sweater is knit in the round, and I quickly realized that my knitting in the round is tighter, so US 7s gave me gauge.

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Size:  M (38.1″) – I was worried that this would be too large, but it fit spot-on — helped in large part, I think, by the fact that I chose to do the optional waist shaping.  I think that waist shaping really helps fit for me with yoked sweaters, because otherwise I end up looking really broad both across the shoulders/chest, and also down the torso.

Mods:  Aside from the optional waist shaping, the only modification I used was to add length, so that the total sweater length is 17 1/2 – 18″.

SnowFlower pullover 2

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Cowichan knit coat

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Cowichan knit coat 1

Pattern:  Watkins by Whitney Hayward

Yarn:  Quince & Co Puffin – 9 skeins Audouin (A) and (D), 2 skeins Sabine (B), and 1 skein Poppy (C).

Needles:  US 10s (ribbing), US 11s, (body and sleeves), US 13s (colorwork)

Size:  41 1/4″

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This was a fun project to choose colors for and to knit, and the bulky yarn meant I finished in less than a week!  I didn’t wet block it – I think it would be so heavy, it would irreparably stretch out.  Instead, I steam-blocked it – which didn’t create as nice of a finished look as wet blocking, but I think it will over time.

This project involves steeking – it comes with step-by-step instructions, which I think are pretty easy to understand, but I didn’t do a very good job – it was hard for me to keep my vertical lines completely straight.  Nonetheless, I think it will hold together . . . I left the ends trimmed but loose, I think they’ll felt over time, and hopefully won’t show or pop out.

The sleeves are too long (as is always the case for me), so I have to cuff them, and the upper arms are very roomy (but it is a coat, after all) . . . otherwise, the fit is good.  I enjoyed it so much that I would think about knitting another in a different color scheme . . .

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Plattsburg Pullover

Plattsburg Pullover 1

I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try Twig & Horn’s amazing new yarn, Stone Wool . . . and one of the beautiful designs created by Whitney Hayward.  I really love everything about this yarn – it is 100% cormo, single-sourced and it is American-sourced from beginning to end.  The wool comes from two farms in Montana and Wyoming, and it is scoured and milled nearby, then shipped only once to Maine, where it is dyed at Saco River Dyehouse and shipped from their warehouse.  American-produced, small carbon footprint, great soft and squishy cormo feel, beautiful colors . . . what more could you want from a yarn?

Yarn:  Stone Wool in color Tobacco 03 (6 skeins)

Pattern:  Plattsburg Pullover by Whitney Hayward

Needles:  US 7s and US 6s (for ribbing) – I went down one size to get gauge (as always!)

Size:  37 1/2″ – I was a little worried that this would give me no positive ease, but I’m guessing that my gauge is still a little bigger than it should be, because the fit came out perfectly, giving me at least 1-2″ of ease.

Plattsburg Pullover 2

One thing I love about this pattern is that it gives you options – I chose to use Cable Chart A and Center Pattern B.  In hindsight, I’m not happy with my center pattern because I think it detracts from the cables – if I knit this again, I will either use no center pattern, or something very subtle.

I’m working on a sweater design that utilizes all three shades of a color family:  for instance, Tobacco comes in Shades 01, 02, and 03, and they look spectacular when they’re all together!  I want to be able to showcase all three shades in a way other than the small sampling you get from fair isle, but I’m trying to avoid straight-up stripes.  I have an idea . . . we’ll see how it pans out.

Plattsburg Pullover 3

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Blue Juniper cabled cardigan

Blue Juniper cabled cardigan 1

I love this one – the combination of  Swans Island bulky yarn and Shibui Silk Cloud makes it the softest, most snuggly sweater I’ve knit yet!  And who doesn’t love cables as gorgeous as these?  Best of all, I finished it in one week . . .

Pattern:  Stinson Beach Cardigan

Yarn:  Swans Island Company Natural Colors Bulky (Merino/Alpaca) in color Seasmoke – 8 skeins (130 yds/ea) and Shibui Knits Silk Cloud (60% kid mohair / 40% silk) in color Graphite – 3 skeins (330 yds/ea) – knit double-stranded throughout

Needles:  US 10s (down from 10 1/2s to get gauge) and US 9s (ribbing)

Size:  I modified stitch numbers in order to knit in between sizes Small (39″) and Medium (43″) and got a perfect fit!

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Mods:  I knit the pocket linings in the Swans Island yarn (without double-stranding with the Shibui) – the pattern called for the smaller gauge yarn only, but while that would have created less bulk, I felt it would have been so thin as to either stretch out badly or get holes poked through it when you actually tried to use the pockets.

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I love how the colors of the two yarns play together – the Seasmoke is a smoky grey, and the Graphite is a steely blue, and it’s amazing how much the Graphite adds a blue hue to the entire piece.  I also love the halo created by the mohair in the Shibui yarn.

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Tov cabled sleeveless tunic

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I’m not really sure what to call this piece – the pattern calls it a vest, but I don’t think that really describes it.  I use the word tunic, although that usually means something longer.  It’s a hard piece to define, and I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to like wearing it, but the cabling pattern is exquisite, and the soft, squishy feel and stitch definition of Woolfolk’s Tov was a joy to knit with.

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Pattern:  Bue Vest

Yarn:  Woolfolk Tov in color 00 (8 skeins), plus a small amount of Woolfolk Tynd in color 00 (for knitting the armhole facings).

Needles:  US 5s (I had to go down one size to get gauge, which made the fabric really dense – I mean, this is a worsted, maybe even closer to an Aran yarn, with a lot of plies, and on US 5s – or even US 6s – makes for a warm, dense, and relatively heavy fabric.  I think it’s a good think it’s not longer and doesn’t have sleeves!)

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Size:  43.5″ (the pattern says this is to fit a 36-38″ bust, which is right in my range – I’d say that the fit is accurate, I probably have at least 6″ of ease.  If I were to knit it again, I’d knit the smaller size, even though it’s supposed to be an oversized fit, just so it wasn’t QUITE so loose fitting).

Tov 4

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Kogle pullover

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Yarn:  Woolfolk Far – 10 skeins (142 yds/ea) in color O8.  This yarn is absolutely phenomenal – so incredibly soft, you’d swear it was cashmere. It was a pleasure to work with, and although the soft hand does mean that it loosens up a little, that just results in a soft halo that adds to its beauty.  I was surprised at how well it showed off stitch definition, particularly after wet blocking.

Pattern:  Kogle Pullover by Julie Hoover.  This one took longer to knit than I thought it would, although it didn’t feel as if it was going slowly – the stitch pattern isn’t difficult.  I guess it was just a lot of inches to knit :)  One thing to keep in mind – you want to be well-versed in reading your stitches before you try this pattern. That’s because you constantly have to adjust to keep the stitch pattern correct as you add or decrease stitches; you can’t just keep following the directions as written.  This is easy to do once you have a few inches knit up, but if you’re uncomfortable with being able to make these kinds of adjustments, this pattern isn’t for you.

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Needles:  US 8s, US 6s and 5s (for ribbing)

Size:  To fit bust 36″ (the pattern lists this as a finished measurement of 40″, which would give me 3-4″ of positive ease, which I’d say is exactly what I got).  I wouldn’t want this to be any bigger; in fact, I was worried that it would stretch during wet blocking, but luckily that didn’t turn out to be the case.  I wonder if it will stretch over time – if so, I’ll probably need to throw it in a hot dryer for a few minutes (or wet block it again) to bring it back to shape.

Kogle pullover 3

 

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Ivar cardigan

Ivar cardigan 1

Pattern:  Ivar cardigan by Anne Hanson

Yarn:  Brooklyn Tweed Loft – 7 skeins in color Camper

Size:  38 1/2″

Needles:  US 6s and US 3s (ribbing)

Ivar cardigan 2

This is a wonderful cardigan for transition seasons, because it’s so lightweight and lofty – nice stitch definition, and it can be dressed up or down, depending on what you wear with it.  It has a pretty slim silhouette, so I think it looks best with skinny jeans or a narrow skirt.

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Tov: A New Woolfolk Yarn

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Pattern:  Gevir Pullover by Sarah Solomon

Size:  33″ (finished measurement 39″)

Needles:  US 6s (down one size to get gauge)

Yarn:  9 skeins Woolfolk Tov in color 2

You have to feel this yarn to believe it – a 10-ply Aran weight, so soft you’d swear it was cashmere!  What I love is that it’s incredibly soft, but not at the expense of texture – it shows stitch definition better than almost any other yarn I’ve knit with :)  This sweater was knit as a sample for Woolfolk, but it just happened to fit me perfectly!

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Tov 3

Tov 2

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Birk Cardigan

birk cardigan 1

Oh wow, guys, you are really going to want to knit this one!  This has got to be one of my favorite cardigans of all time . . .

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First, start with the yarn:  AMAZING!  It is so incredibly soft, you won’t believe it.  And, this pattern double-strands Far (which is a chainetfte-contruction worsted) and Sno (a more tightly wound fingering), which gives it the perfect texture – loft and spring!

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Second, the fit is spot-on – it hangs perfectly, fits across my shoulders perfectly, and I love the length (see below).

Third, since you’re knitting on US 9s, even though it’s a big piece, it goes so quickly, and you’ll love it while you’re knitting it!  The color combinations are endless, and I swatched several before deciding, but I love the more subtle marl and how interesting this makes a neutral look.

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Pattern:  Birk Cardigan

Yarn:  Woolfolk Far Color 01 (11 skeins) and Sno Color 01 + 17 (6 skeins)

Needles:  US 8s and US 9s

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Size:  36″ (small) – this is a smaller size than I would usually knit, but as the pattern notes, the finished size is larger, and even though I’m typically a bust size 36″, I have plenty of ease with this size.

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Mods:  Because I’m not near as tall as the model for this pattern, and I wanted a little more of a conventional fit, I shortened the length by 3″.  This mean that I knit the pocket openings at 7″ from CO, then I knit to 17″ before beginning the V-neck shaping, and I knit to 21″ before dividing front and back.  Perfect!

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Faded indigo cardigan

faded indigo cardigan 3

A great test knit for Baby Cocktails!  I love this cardigan – it’s a real workhorse, goes with everything and looks great with jeans or with my Eileen Fisher dress.  The natural dye gives just enough varigation to give it depth and texture, without messing with the stitch design.  And this wool!  It’s warm but so breathable and light, I can wear it even when there’s just a little bit of a fall chill in the air.

faded indigo cardigan 1

Pattern:  Roxborough

Yarn:  Local Color Fiber Studio Cascara Merino (labeled as aran weight) – 5 skeins (200 yds/ea) of indigo dyed

Size:  38.25″ (increased length by 2 – 2 1/2″)

Needles:  US 8s

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Dusk pullover for cool fall evenings

Dusk pullover 1

Pattern:  Leda by Quince & Co

Yarn:  Quince & Co Tern (75% American wool / 25% silk) – 6 skeins (221 yds/ea) in color Dusk

Needles:  US 5s (down one size – even then, I my gauge was a little large, but I didn’t want to go down yet another needle size)

Size:  34 3/4″ (this would usually be too small for me, but I didn’t want it oversized, and because my gauge was a little big, I went one size smaller)

My adjustment to needle size and sweater size worked well – I think the fit is spot-on.  One note – the sleeves are really tight where you pick up and knit (at the drop-sleeve point).  At first I thought they would be too tight, but after completing and wearing the sweater, I really like the look – it balances out the somewhat oversize/boxy look of the body.  Interesting shoulder/sleeve construction – I don’t usually like drop sleeves, but it works with this pattern.

I had wanted the color to be a little more – I’m not sure what, vibrant?  Saturated?  Not necessarily brighter, just a little . . . something.  Anyway, I would probably go with a different color if I knit this again, but I do like the pattern and the fit, and it feels wonderful – light and with beautiful drape, but warm enough for a cool fall evening.

Dusk pullover 2

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Billie Jean

Billie Jean 1

It was really interesting knitting with Wool & the Gang’s newest yarn, Billie Jean.  I used color Dirty Denim, which is 60% upcycled denim / 40% upcycled raw cotton.  It has a beautiful marled look, and feels very soft and pliable when knitting. However, once it’s blocked . . .

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I started with the Drumlin cardigan pattern from Amy Herzog’s Customfit program.  I knit on US 7s and was true to my chosen gauge, but I could tell before I was even finished that it was going to be WAY small.  I don’t know if the measurements I put into the program weren’t accurate enough, or if it was because of the composition of the yarn, but it wasn’t working.  So, I went off-book:  (a) instead of knitting the sleeves separately, I picked up the stitches from the yoke, then knit short rows to form the sleeve cap, and then had to reduce very quickly because I shortened the sleeves; (b) when I finished, I didn’t like how open it hung, so I went back and added width to the button bands, but because I didn’t want it any wider along the neckline, I used short rows on the fronts to limit the additional width to that area.

Billie Jean 3

I used 6 skeins (148 yds/ea) and I really like how it looks and feels, but be warned . . . when you wet block (or wash) it, think about how your jeans feel when they first come out of the wash – particularly if you were to dry them on a blocking board.  I’m talking stiff!  And, the sweater seemed to . . . not shrink, per se, but you know how jeans are so much tighter when you first pull them on after they’ve been washed?  They need a chance to be stretched out and loosen up.  Unfortunately, you don’t wear a cardigan in the same way, so it doesn’t ever stretch to fit the way jeans do.  I spent a fair amount of time yanking on the sleeves, the hem, and the button bands to try to get them to stretch back into shape.

Billie Jean 4

The bottom line:  I really like this sweater, but I need a different kind of pattern.  Unfortunately, I don’t like Wool & the Gang’s patterns – they’re all one size, and I’m not shaped to look good in a shapeless, oversize sweater!  So, back to the drawing board.  Next I’m going to try the Washed Out Denim color – it has only 20% upcycled denim, so I’m curious to see how it behaves differently on the needles and when blocked.

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Hudson tee-shirt cardigan

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Perfect summer knit!  I love the fit and the feel and drape of the yarn . . . although knitting an entire sweater on US 3s was a little out of my comfort zone :)

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Pattern:  Bleached by Amy Miller

Yarn:  The Plucky Knitter Lodge Fingering (60% merino / 20% cotton / 10% silk / 10% flax) – 1 skein Flannel, 1 skein (+ just a few add’l yards) Twill, and 2 skeins Hudson (410 yds/ea)

Needles:  US 3s (down one needle size to get gauge)

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Size:  38 1/2″

Mods:  I knit the body 2″ shorter (for a total length of 17″) so that it’s more longer sweater length, rather than tunic.  Also, I used the numbers from one size larger for the sleeves.  Each stripe is 34 rows.

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Strawberry summer top

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This came out beautifully – the pattern fits so well, and the yarn colors are stunning!  The combination of linen, silk, and alpaca makes for a beautiful drape in the fabric.

Yarn:  Camellia Fiber Company – 2 skeins Flax DK (50% alpaca / 25% linen / 25% silk) in Strawberry, and 1 skein (for stripes) in Rose Quartz

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Pattern:  Clarke Pullover by Jane Richmond – the only modification I made was to shorten the sleeves

Size:  36″ – this should have given me 1-2″ of negative ease, but I think it’s a perfect fit

Needles:  US 5s (downsized to get gauge)

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Pink Memories

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Another simple yet beautiful and well-written pattern from the amazing Isabell Kraemer . . . and a new (to me) yarn, ecologically and minimally processed in France.

Pattern:  Pink Memories

Yarn:  Polo&Co Alpaga (80% alpaca / 20% wool) – MC Llingerie (3 skeins @ 290 yds/ea) and CC Nude (1 skein)

Needles:  US 5s (I had to go down one size to get gauge)

Size:  M1 (39″)

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I counted on the yarn stretching quite a bit during wet blocking, because of the percentage of alpaca – while it did, I still think I would have liked to have knit the body an inch or two longer.  Otherwise, it’s a good fit – not at all oversized, I could have gone up one size if I wanted it to  be less fitted and more slouchy, but I’ve been leaning toward less baggy sweaters these days.  I like the very subtle difference in color between the Lingerie (main body of the sweater) and Nude (lower half of the sleeves and inside of the pocket), although I wish there was a little greater difference, because I’m not sure you can even really see that there are two different colors being used :)

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