OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern: Eastlake, from Norah Gaughan Vol.3

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Colrain (merino/tencel), Jungle Green, 8.75 balls

• Size/Gauge: 34″ for zero ease, US 7 needles for 5.0 spi

• Time to knit: 2 weeks in September 2008 

I really enjoyed knitting this sweater, it went quickly despite some errors in the pattern.  My only real mod was knitting the increases in the stalk pattern through the back loop, so as to minimize the eyelet effect there.  Nevertheless, the eyelet row across the upper chest requires some thought re: undergarments.   The back neck extensions were the only part of the pattern I found awkward; first I knitted them to size as shown in the schematic, then I wound up ripping back each significantly.  As for the yarn, I love it.  Colrain may be a new favorite. It’s soft, luminous, with great stitch definition and the cables really pop.  It did grow a bit when wet; this effect was much more apparent in the whole garment, as opposed to a swatch.  Despite the growth, it was easy to mold back to size. I will definitely use Colrain again!  Below, a closeup of the awesome stitch pattern.

This pattern was the first to catch my eye among all the new publications for Fall 2008.  The finished sweater does not disappoint, and I’ll will definitely be trying some other patterns from Norah Gaughan Vol 3.  And now, one more pic, just for fun- I love this sweater!  It’s very comfortable and easy to wear.