…I came so close to blowing off today’s post. For no good reason except that I was having too much fun knitting hats. and a Christmas sweater for Charlie. But then I looked at my photos and realized that all I really needed to do…was post them. Huge thank you to Katie (and the lovely trees off her back deck that look like a watercolor) for the photos. And to Julie Weisenberger for the pattern. And to Shibui for the yarn. Enough words, here you go.

When my shop hosted a Shibui Mix event earlier this year, this piece was a standout. I modeled the sample and was sold. on the spot (which is saying a lot for a sweater that’s got over $200 worth of yarn in it!). The mix is linen, mohair/silk (Silk Cloud) and wool/alpaca (Cima). Body, drape, warmth…it’s all there. It wasn’t even that hard to hold three strands together (baggies!). The sleeves, which I worked on double points and everyone else worked on 16″ circulars were the fiddliest part – and Julie had you knit them first. I cast on the day that Katie went into labor and this was not the project I took to the hospital…it wasn’t the project I pulled out for the next few weeks either (double points and three strands of yarn in baggies seemed like a bad idea). But I’d committed to finishing by October 31; I did the last cuff and wove in the ends on November 1. Close enough. The piece is lighter than I remember, but still warm. And oh my the details. It fits beautifully and the seams are just right to help it hold its shape.It’s all detailed on Ravelry (here).