OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern: Rickrack Rib Pullover by Kat Coyle, from Classic Elite Autumn 1
• Yarn: Mirasol Tupa (50 wool/ 50 silk), color 815 “Emerald”, ~950 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: 34.5″ bust, 5.25 spi in stockinette on US 5’s
• Time to knit: 2 weeks in February/March 2011

Here’s my sweater, which was started for St. Patrick’s day, though not quite finished by then; nevertheless I am dubbing it “Emerald Isle”.

The patterns is another that I’ve had queued for years.  I loved the look but feared the rickrack rib would be difficult and/or tedious. Well, I won’t lie, the rickrack rib is pretty darn tedious, but there isn’t too much of it.  Overall this is very quick project.  The pattern is fine, no errata.  As for mods, I did short row bust shaping about 1″ below the armcye, which was necessary to make the rickrack rib portion fall below my bust.

The yarn, Mirasol Tupa, is really lovely, soft, shimmery, drapey, and completely luxurious.   It’s a nicely rounded 2 ply with good firm twist.  I knew it would grow a bit when wet, so I knit on US 5’s for a pre-blocking gauge of 5.5 spi, which grew to 5.25 spi (pattern gauge) in blocking.  The color, a rich emerald, is one my favorites, though I must confess I’ve rarely met a shade of green not to my liking.  The yarn was stash, purchased on sale a year ago.  If I ever see it on sale again, I won’t hesitate to scoop it up!

My favorite aspect of this top are the wide, deep scoop neck, the three-quarter length belled sleeves, and the soft, slinky fabric.  It works well for transitional weather, perfect for a cool spring!