The Sweater: The Throwback, a graphic and fun light worsted weight sweater originally designed as a cardigan… and not written to be steeked. Insert annoyed face.

The Yarn:  A fun combination of left over bits and bobs of Spincycle Dream State, a 100% domestic wool paired with Stonehenge Fiber Mill Sheperd’s Wool, a 100% merino.

The Designer: Andrea Mowery, a veritable powerhouse of creativity and personality. Andrea writes patterns that click with my brain. That is why I keep knitting them.  They are always fun, straight forward and always brilliantly fashionable.

The Details: Where to begin? How about at the neck?  This sweater was designed as a knit flat cardigan with not only stranded color work, but three colors used in several different rows around the yoke. (head in hand)

I started out by knitting in the round. I removed any stitches that would have been selvage stitches intended to anchor the front  bands in the cardigan version.I also  changed the beginning of the round to the back of the neck. This was only really imperative in making sure the neck shaping was on the back of the sweater and that the color work rounds started and stopped on the back of the sweater. I opted to work three color rounds twice for each round so that I could a) only work with two colors at a time slipping the third color stitches.  I went back and worked them slipping colors one and two and b) manage my floats better. I knew from knitting the cardigan in October of 2018 that this was something I needed to be prepared for. Once the yoke was finished it was straight on ’til sunset so to speak.  I knit the body in the round finishing with the hem band as directed. There were no changes to the sleeve.

Overall, I love this sweater.  I don’t wear it as much as I would something made from a more hardy wool because Merino while amazingly soft will pill like nobodies business. I would rather wear this sweater on a special occasion and have it for a very very long time.