Good timing on this one - our downstairs furnace quit on us last Friday!
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted, in Dove Heather
Needles: 5.5 mm / US 9
I finished the knitting on this way back on 4 November, but dawdled on getting it blocked. I finally got it done last week, just in time for the furnace to die and for this to be handy for me to throw on to keep me comfy. (We dug up an electric faux-fireplace space heater that we're using, and it works pretty well, but I tend to be cold a lot anyway, so the extra layer is helpful, especially when the heater's only been on for a little while and hasn't pumped much warmth out yet.) I took these pictures on Friday, wore the sweater for the rest of the day just because, and also threw it on Sunday, Monday, and today.
This was a really great knit, and I love the finished garment.
It starts with a crochet chain provisional cast on, which I had to learn - I initially attempted to sub Judy's Magic Cast On, and that didn't work out because that actually casts on two rows of stockinette, and the cast on edge is in the garter stitch neckband, which means those two rows wrecked my garter stitch. After a rip and a redo, involving a crazy loose crochet chain worked with a too-small hook since I only have a few relatively tiny ones I bought years ago in preparation for making beaded socks for the Tour de Sock, I was on my way.
After the learning curve of the cast on, the knitting proceeded smoothly and without drama. This pattern is intended to be suitable for beginners looking for their first sweater, and is pretty straightforward. The only potentially intimidating bits are the provisional cast on, and picking up stitches from the neckband to start working the yoke. Beyond that, there's raglan shaping and at-the-same-time neckline shaping, and there's also sleeve shaping, but that's it. Nothing super fancy or unusual technique-wise.
The result is a pretty fantastic, flattering sweater. I didn't put any buttonholes in mine because I know I'll never put buttons on, but the pattern instructions do provide that option for those who must button. I also opted to knit my sleeves flat and then seam them - in part because I don't have Sig DPNs in 5.5 mm, but mostly because I find I prefer to knit sleeves flat. With DPNs I have to be more mindful of tension issues at the joins because the mass of the sweater body in my lap changes up how the piece can move around as I work, and I also don't enjoy the constant rearranging of the mass of sweater in my lap that comes with working sleeves in the round. I find the knitting process is smoother (and more enjoyable!) when I work the sleeves flat. Plus, this way my sleeve decreases line up perfectly, which in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter, and probably no one will ever know but me.
I think I can wear this to work when I'm back on campus. Well. Minus the sweatpants, though.
Tech specs: the way this sweater is constructed, you're pretty well forced to use the crochet chain provisional cast on - I didn't try it, but I suspect the figure-8 cast on will have the same problem as Judy's Magic Cast On. I used a double-chain bind off for all my bound off edges.
And now my sister wants one.
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