OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern: by Melissa LaBarre, from “New England Knits”
• Yarn: Shepherd’s Classic 100% wool, ~820 yds
• Size/Needles/Gauge: 38″ size at 5.0 spi on US 6 for 34″ chest
• Time to knit: Almost 2 weeks in January 2011

Here’s my first sweater project begun in 2011.  Middlefield is the first pullover I’ve finished in a while, and it was a fast knit.

 The pattern is fine, but again I had to make mods for sizing.  The small size had an 11″ upper arm circumference.  So, I decided to knit the second size at 5.0 vs. 4.5 spi as written, to obtain a 34″ but and 12″ upper sleeve.  Rather than begin waist decreases 1″ under the underarm, I knit 4″ and added short row bust shaping before doing the decreases.  The rate of shaping was changed to accomodate my row gauge and also my body shape.  The length was increased by knitting an additional inch (to 14″) before beginning the hem.  The sleeve shaping was also changed to accomodate row gauge and again, I knit an additional inch before beginning the ribbed cuff, for total sleeve length of 18″.  Though the pattern says to begin (at mid yoke) with a long tail cast on, I opted for the crochet provisional method so I could work the upper yoke from the live loops and retain stretch and flexibility in that area.   One more thing: I skipped the buttonholes and sewed down the placket at the left shoulder, as I thought a functional buttonband would probably gape unattractively, and the neck is wide enough to go over my head.  So my buttons are merely decorative.  I did a sewn bind off for 2×2 rib to maintain stretch at the neck.

The yarn is a basic workhorse wool that I got from Webs on closeout in December 2009.  It was $2.79/skein and I used less than 4, so this was one cheap project.   It’s not exactly soft, but not itchy either (at least to me, I am not particulary sensitive to wool).  The construction is round, 3 ply and the yarn is rather sticky, it would be great for colorwork if one could abide the bulk (at 110 yd/50g, this would be rather bulky for stranding, IMO).   I liked it a light worsted gauge of 5.0 spi on US 6; I’d probably knit it 4.5 spi on US 7’s for something more drapey or dense (like cables).  

This is a fun pattern with interesting, easy construction, I recommend it!