Yesterday was the first day of school. The skateboarders, hot pants-wearing teenagers, and misdirected youthful testosterone were a little overwhelming as I made my way on campus, but my own enthusiasm was apparent in my shiny new pens, notebooks, clear binders, Sanskrit textbook and Buddhist Geography pdf printouts. Rock ON!
Like all good back-to-school children, I even planned my outfit:
Details:
Pattern: The Equinox Top by Kristen Omdahl (available for free from www.naturallycaron.com)
Needles: US 5 (for yoke) and 6 (3.75 and 4 mm.)
Yarn: Berroco Cotton Twist Variegated (70% / 30% cotton/rayon, worsted weight- 85 yards per 50 gram skein, discontinued)
Overall:
This is a very pretty, simple pattern. It is knit top-down, in the round. The stitch pattern is an eyelet/cable combination, with increases in the inbetween stitches to create an A-line shape. There is no waist or bust shaping, but the ribbing gives the sweater "cling." It fits very well, with plenty of shape around the bust and waist, and no piling at the hips.
Santa Barbara is not as warm as LA or in the inner areas, so I think my gung-ho "NO MORE WOOL" attitude was a bit unnecessary. However, this sweater, although made primarily from cotton and only half sleeves, was perfect- worsted weight yarn added coverage, the eyelet pattern prevented me from sweating, and the cotton was a great temperature regulator.
I mentioned this sweater earlier with a few hesitations:
However, as the sweater is knit without seams, it is possible that the pattern is correct, and the sweater was inside-out when it was photographed, which I also find hilarious.
The good news is the sweater is reversible! It looks great knit according to the pattern (which someone did) and it looks fantastic if you reverse the pattern, as shown in the photo. Plus, switching knits to purls and purls to knits is very simple, so if you're interested in this pattern, don't let it put you off!
Modifications
Very few.
As noted above, I chose to reverse my knits to purls and purls to knits so that my finished product would have the same stitch pattern as shown in the photo.
Second, instead of K3tog (written as P3tog) I chose to slip one stitch, K2tog, PSSO (pass slipped stitch over). This creates a small crossover stitch of yarn, adding dimension to the ribbing.
Lastly, I omitted the underarm seam when making my sleeves, and instead picked up stitches all the way around the sleeve. In order to do this evenly, I had to pick up more than was recommended, so I went up to the next size (90 stitches). This made my sleeves slightly bell-shaped, and my armhole is a bit bigger than ideal, but only a problem if I stand with my arms out to my sides and someone sticks their face under to see my bra, which seems pretty unlikely. I hope.
My yardage was perfect- 10 skeins (850 yards) worked out to 8 skeins for the body and 1 for each sleeve. The sleeves are approximately 5 inches from the underarm, but the drape of the shoulders lets them fall just above my elbow. The body of the sweater reaches halfway down my bum (my favored length).
Conclusion:
Easy, pretty, great result! The neckline is snug, so the sweater hangs an equal length around the neck. The A-line pattern is great for beginners (no increasing or decreasing for bust/waist accomodation) but the ribbing of the stitch pattern creates shape and allows the fabric to "cling" where it should.
Yarn:
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about, but I quite liked this yarn. Snagging is an issue with any mixed-fiber yarn, particularly when the fibers are not blended together, but rather wound around one another, as is the case here. The cotton is weighty and drapes well and the rayon gives a lovely sheen, but the rayon is a thin, plastic-feeling strand that catches on things easily. No cats, jewelry or sharp objects around while you're knitting this.
I like the effect of a non-protein yarn (ie, not from an animal) in a heavier weight. Silks, cottons and bamboos are most often sold in DK or fingering weights. Worsted is a bit harder to come by, as it is heavier and more likely to stretch out. The A-line frame of this sweater means stretching isn't a huge problem (unlike, say, a sweater with bust and waist shaping, which can look a bit disfiguring if the fabric stretches south by several inches), and the shorter sleeves mean minimal weight on the arms.
I had planned a photo shoot of me and my textbooks, leaving my flat to cross the threshold of knowledge, but I was late on my first day of class. Shame. Shame!!
Like all good back-to-school children, I even planned my outfit:
 |
| This + jeans + earrings = back to school. |
Pattern: The Equinox Top by Kristen Omdahl (available for free from www.naturallycaron.com)
Needles: US 5 (for yoke) and 6 (3.75 and 4 mm.)
Yarn: Berroco Cotton Twist Variegated (70% / 30% cotton/rayon, worsted weight- 85 yards per 50 gram skein, discontinued)
Overall:
This is a very pretty, simple pattern. It is knit top-down, in the round. The stitch pattern is an eyelet/cable combination, with increases in the inbetween stitches to create an A-line shape. There is no waist or bust shaping, but the ribbing gives the sweater "cling." It fits very well, with plenty of shape around the bust and waist, and no piling at the hips.
Santa Barbara is not as warm as LA or in the inner areas, so I think my gung-ho "NO MORE WOOL" attitude was a bit unnecessary. However, this sweater, although made primarily from cotton and only half sleeves, was perfect- worsted weight yarn added coverage, the eyelet pattern prevented me from sweating, and the cotton was a great temperature regulator.
 |
| Photo: NaturallyCaron Design: Kristen Omdahl |
- the pattern might be written backwards
- not sure I had enough yarn
- no one on Ravelry liked the yarn
However, as the sweater is knit without seams, it is possible that the pattern is correct, and the sweater was inside-out when it was photographed, which I also find hilarious.
The good news is the sweater is reversible! It looks great knit according to the pattern (which someone did) and it looks fantastic if you reverse the pattern, as shown in the photo. Plus, switching knits to purls and purls to knits is very simple, so if you're interested in this pattern, don't let it put you off!
 |
| By casting on with smaller needles and ribbing the first inch, the neckline is neater, tighter and more secure than many top-down constructions. The row of eyelets beneath the first inch of ribbing makes a pretty and clean transition to the beginning of the stitch pattern, as well as covering any changes in tension between needle sizes. |
Modifications
Very few.
As noted above, I chose to reverse my knits to purls and purls to knits so that my finished product would have the same stitch pattern as shown in the photo.
Second, instead of K3tog (written as P3tog) I chose to slip one stitch, K2tog, PSSO (pass slipped stitch over). This creates a small crossover stitch of yarn, adding dimension to the ribbing. Lastly, I omitted the underarm seam when making my sleeves, and instead picked up stitches all the way around the sleeve. In order to do this evenly, I had to pick up more than was recommended, so I went up to the next size (90 stitches). This made my sleeves slightly bell-shaped, and my armhole is a bit bigger than ideal, but only a problem if I stand with my arms out to my sides and someone sticks their face under to see my bra, which seems pretty unlikely. I hope.
 |
| The ribbing continues from the neckline down through the sleeves and body. |
Conclusion:
Easy, pretty, great result! The neckline is snug, so the sweater hangs an equal length around the neck. The A-line pattern is great for beginners (no increasing or decreasing for bust/waist accomodation) but the ribbing of the stitch pattern creates shape and allows the fabric to "cling" where it should.
Yarn:
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about, but I quite liked this yarn. Snagging is an issue with any mixed-fiber yarn, particularly when the fibers are not blended together, but rather wound around one another, as is the case here. The cotton is weighty and drapes well and the rayon gives a lovely sheen, but the rayon is a thin, plastic-feeling strand that catches on things easily. No cats, jewelry or sharp objects around while you're knitting this.
I like the effect of a non-protein yarn (ie, not from an animal) in a heavier weight. Silks, cottons and bamboos are most often sold in DK or fingering weights. Worsted is a bit harder to come by, as it is heavier and more likely to stretch out. The A-line frame of this sweater means stretching isn't a huge problem (unlike, say, a sweater with bust and waist shaping, which can look a bit disfiguring if the fabric stretches south by several inches), and the shorter sleeves mean minimal weight on the arms.
I had planned a photo shoot of me and my textbooks, leaving my flat to cross the threshold of knowledge, but I was late on my first day of class. Shame. Shame!!
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