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.