A New Sweater is Brewing

Plus, two new book recommendations…

How many times have you come across a sweater (or other garment), and thought, "I love that! But I wish the neckline (or the fiber content, or length, or whatever) was different."

That's what happened when I saw this sweater.

This pullover was on the cover of a catalog from J.Jill, a company from which I buy much of my wardrobe. I was immediately drawn to this image. I even went to the local J.Jill store to see and feel the pullover in person.

What do I love? The color. I'm a fan of pink, and I like the way the pink and purple marl creates an interesting fabric without being overtly stripey.

What would I change? The neckline, the fiber content, and the stitch pattern. The cowl neck on the original is pretty, but I know I'll get more use out of a crew neck. The fiber content is 65% cotton, 15% acrylic, 8% polyester, and 6% viscose rayon. That is more synthetic than I want to buy, and I think I'd prefer to use wool. The original sweater is knit in garter stitch. I think I can get a similar look with reverse stockinette stitch, which would require less yarn.

Time for a Dive into the Yarn Stash

So, I didn't buy the sweater. But I was reminded that my stash held quite a bit of hand-dyed pink sock yarn. I didn't want this to be a fingering-weight sweater, but what if I add some purplish sock yarn and work with 2 strands held together? A dip into the stash and a quick perusal of Knit Pick's year end sale turned up this:

My stash yielded the following:

• Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Double Bubble

• Hand Dyed Diva Sock in Pink Petunia (no longer available, but you can get the same color on a similar base here)

• Native Fibers Sock in Pink Lemonade (no longer available)

• Stunning String Studio Stunning Superwash in Ballerina and Summer Love (I'm not seeing these exact colors on their website right now, but they have so many beautiful pinks)

I ordered four skeins of Stroll Effects in Blue Violet Tonal from Knit Picks. This will be the purplish companion for all those pinks.

FYI: None of the yarn links are affiliate links. I can't say for sure when it comes to the stash yarn, but I suspect most of these are yarns for which I paid. I purchased the Blue Violet yarn from Knit Picks. So, no kickbacks, no sponsorships, just yarns I feel confident you'll like as much as I do.

Of Course I Knit a Swatch

Holding two strands of yarn together, I started on size 4 (3.5 mm) needles with garter stitch. Garter stitch will make a stable, non-rolling edging that blends right in with the rest of the sweater. I switched to size 6 (4 mm) needles and reverse stockinette stitch. Before blocking, this fabric felt a little firmer than I wanted, so I changed to size 7 (4.5 mm) needles and kept knitting.

In case you're curious, here is a peek at the stockinette stitch side of this swatch. The ridge across the middle is where I changed from a size 6 to a size 7. I find the reverse stockinette stitch side more pleasing. The colors are better blended together.

After a gentle wash and a relaxing lay-flat-to-dry, the section on the smaller needle feels less firm, but I do prefer the fabric produced using the size 7 needle. The gauge in this section is 19 stitches and 27 rows = 4".

The Construction Plan

I'm going to knit this in the round from the top down. I'll start with a garter stitch neckband about 1" wide, change to reverse stockinette stitch and work some short rows to shape the neckline, then proceed down the yoke in reverse stockinette with regularly spaced increases. I'll continue down the sleeves and body, and finish with more 1" bands of garter stitch.

To avoid working an entire sweater in nothing but purl (I'm not at all purl-averse, but I work faster in knit), I'll knit this sweater with the wrong side out. To evenly distribute my variety of pink tones, I'll alternate between a semi-solid pink and a speckled pink every two rows, with the Blue Violet tying the whole thing together.

This is going to be a simple, classic pullover, basic in the best possible way. It will celebrate what drew me to the inspiration, while being customized to suit my taste.

Sadly, I can't jump right into this project. I'm finishing up one design commission and awaiting the arrival of yarn for another. I'm delighted to have design work for which I'll be paid, but it means any projects just for me need to go to the end of the line. My yarn, needles, and swatch have taken up residence in a basket at the edge of my long worktable, ready and waiting for whenever I find the time to cast on.

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I recently read two very different books which I'm eager to share with you. The first is Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt.

Our protagonist is Ruth, a schoolteacher in late middle age whose daughter, Eleanor, has just had a baby. Eleanor is also in the grip of drug addiction, despite Ruth's years of effort to pull her back. One day, Ruth hands her daughter an envelope of cash and takes the baby, Lily, home with her.

Loved and Missed is a heartbreaking exploration of motherhood. Boyt's writing is lean and precise. She is unsparing in her depiction of the pain of feeling your child push you away as they make disastrous choice after disastrous choice. She also brings us into Ruth's joy as she makes the most of the second chance she is given with her granddaughter, Lily.

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My second recommendation this week is for those of you who share my love of "I-never-saw-that-coming" twisty thrillers. It's Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter.

This is a story of teenaged girls gone missing, small-town cover-ups, sisters stretching the bonds of their relationship, and never knowing who you can trust. I couldn't pull myself away from this 20-hour-long audiobook. In the car, doing the laundry, or knitting away, I didn't want to turn it off. Twist after turn after shock after surprise, I was all in.

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Some things that caught my eye…

• From the New York Times, the story of a set of fine china and the five generations of women who have treasured it. With changing fashions in entertaining and tableware, where will these cups and plates go next?

• Spend 3 minutes watching Origami, a mesmerizing animated short film:

• For fans of Louise Penny's The Grey Wolf, particularly in audio, here is an interview with the new narrator, Jean Brassard. I was happily surprised to hear him mention that many fans of the Three Pines audiobooks are knitters! I feel so seen…

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As always, thank you so much for inviting me into your world. I’m grateful for the time you spend reading. And nothing pleases me more than reading your comments.

Have you started a new project in this new year? Or do you have one simmering on the back burner? Have you ever made a sweater inspired by one you first saw as ready-to-wear? Tell me about it in the comments.