Sleeves, Body, and Sleeves Again
It’s already the middle of November! I can’t believe how quickly this fall season has been flying by. This week you may be getting ready to separate the sleeves from the body of the sweater (if you haven’t already). I'm almost done with the body, and haven't even tried it on yet it's gone so fast! In this week's post, I'm sharing a few super-useful resources you can add to your knitting toolbox on picking up underarm stitches, and a handy trick to get you through those tedious purl rounds.
I hope you’ve been enjoying the sweater so far—the general consensus I’ve been getting from those who are knitting along is that they can’t put it down! Knitting and making are rewarding in themselves, but there’s something even more joyful and fulfilling to have a project that seems to want to be completed. The easy-to-memorize charts and Aran-weight HiKoo® Simplinatural yarn in Winter Roses combine to make this project quick and meditative at the same time. It’s so easy to say “just one more round!” I hope you’re feeling a bit of that, too.
The colder the weather gets, the more I think about what originally inspired this design. I wanted simple colorwork that doesn’t require you to have to look at the chart multiple times throughout one round, and I included design elements in a Christmas sweater my mom wore a few years ago when she was visiting from out of town. Every time I pick up my Winter Roses WIP, it’s easy to see exactly what to do next within my current round.
With the holidays approaching, I like freeing up as much mental space and energy as possible to keep stress levels at a minimum, and I hope you find this project as fun and relaxing as it has been for me. The inspirational sweater my mom wore was a cozy cowl-necked pullover with evenly spaced purl rounds, and I loved it so much I had to create my own using the same textural feature! She lives across the country, and having this extra element inspired by her sweater makes me feel just a little bit closer to her.
While I love the textural purl rounds, I am admittedly one of those knitters who really doesn't like to purl. I'd rather knit backward than purl, as a matter of fact, and if you don't like to purl, you can too! When it comes time to do a purl round, I simply turn my work so the Wrong Side is facing me, and follow this technique demonstrated by Ellen Thomas of The Chilly Dog. Her videos are incredibly easy to follow, clear, and concise.
Sleeves
You may have cast off the body of your Winter Roses sweater and be ready to sail on over to sleeve island, woohoo! When it comes to picking up stitches in the underarm gap, my own experience has been hit or miss. A few months ago I learned a really simple and effective way of picking up stitches in the underarm area by @darcidoesit on Instagram that has seriously changed the game for me.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT - be forewarned there is explicit music playing in the video, so if that’s something you’re sensitive to or are currently in the company of those who are, you can mute it. Her demonstration is brief, easy to follow, and is seriously amazing! I’ve bookmarked this video so I can reference it for all future sweater projects, and highly recommend you do too if you have trouble remembering this technique.
If you’d like a more in-depth visual demonstration of picking up gap-free underarm stitches, Ellen Thomas of The Chilly Dog also has a fantastic video:
Looking for a Local Yarn Store that is participating in this KAL?
Local Yarn Store | Phone | City | State |
619-246-8585 | Santa Ysabel | CA | |
847-390-1013 | Mt. Prospect | IL | |
507-725-2708 | Caledonia | MN | |
908-688-9001 | Union | NJ | |
509-734-2484 | Kennewick | WA | |
425-251-1239 | Kent | WA | |
307-755-9276 | Laramie | WY |
Or find what you're looking for from one of these great online retailers:
Online Store | Phone | Website |
Angelika's Yarn Store | 816-461-5505 | |
Graywood Designs | 989-453-2311 | |
The Yarn and Us | 586-532-8384 |
Don't have the pattern yet?
You can either download it directly from my shop, or on Ravelry, links below...
Plus! There is also a companion hat pattern to help you use up any remaining partial balls!
Sizes range from Baby to Adult Large, and the pattern includes detailed yarn information you can cast on with confidence.
I love to see your WIPs! Please feel free to tag me on social media @dearingenue with #dearingenue and use #WinterRosesKAL so we can all celebrate your sweater with you! And if you're on Ravelry, pop into the Ravelry thread and say hello!
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