All the rain. All the terrible news. 2018 has been rough. I am committing 2019 to things of comfort – warm wood needles and beautiful wool in my hands, a cup of amazing hot cocoa on a Friday night, brunch with good friends. 2019 will be a year of appreciating the little things that bring us joy and pleasure. Want to join me?
I am hosting a special New Year’s Day knitalong at fibre space. We are open from 11-8. Join me to start your first comfort project of 2019 – a snuggly sweater. I’ve chosen the Easy Bulky One by Joji Locatelli. It is a simple design worked in large gauge yarn. It’s also a perfect first sweater project for those of you who haven’t taken on sweaters yet. I promise, if you can knit and purl, you can make this sweater!
Here’s the details:
Skills needed:
- ability to knit and purl
- join to work in the round – we will show you!!
Sizes and finished measurements:
This sweater is intended to be oversized and loose fitting! As such, there is a lot of wiggle room for gauge mishaps, making it a great first sweater project.
SIZES
XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL). Shown in size M on a 36” bust.
Recommended ease: Approx. 16 inches (40 cm) of positive ease. Choose a size from the list below that is approx. 16” (40 cm) bigger than your full bust measurement.
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Bust circumference: 46 (50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74) inches; 115 (125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185) cm.
Upper arm circumference: 11½ (12, 12½, 14½, 16, 17, 18¾, 19½) inches; 28.5 (30, 31.5, 36.5, 40, 43, 47, 48.5) cm.
Sleeve length from underarm to cuff: 16 inches; 40 cm (adjustable to desired length).
Length from underarm to hem: 16½ (17, 17½, 18, 18½, 19, 20, 20¾) inches; 41 (43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50, 52) cm.
Materials:
- Yarn: 960 (1000, 1060, 1140, 1340, 1440, 1560) yards of lofty bulky weight yarn. The sample was made using Brooklyn Tweed Quarry. Other amazing options at the shop: Berroco Vintage Chunky, de rerum natura Cyrano, Halcyon Yarn Norumbega.
- Needles: US#9 (5.5 mm) circular needles
- Stitch markers, stitch holders, tapestry needle
- Copy of the pattern, available Ravelry from the designer for $6.50
Your preparation:
You can really just show up on New Year’s Day and grab yarn and needles and get started. But if you are a preparation sorta person, find your yarn sooner and cast on for a gauge swatch! It is a great way to test out the comfort of the yarn. This sweater is all about being comfortable, so you want to be sure that you love your yarn selection! Here are gauge instructions:
Cast on 22 sts in US#9 needles. Knit four rows. Begin stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) until your piece measures 5-6″ in length. Knit four rows and bind off! Soak your swatch in a bit of water and then lay flat to dry.
GAUGE
12 st and 20 rows to 4” (10cm) in Stockinette St on US#9 (5.5 mm) needles.
Some yarn options:
Cyrano
De Rerum Natura from France is one of our yarn suggestions for the New Year’s Day Knitalong! Each ball is 165 yards and $16.
Cyrano is a woolen yarn of soft french and European merino produced in France in an ecological way. It has a very rounded structure with 5 plies that is perfect for show off cables or regular st st as well.
Quarry
Brooklyn Tweed Quarry is a chunky brother to Shelter and Loft inspired by roving-style “unspun” yarns, offered in pillowy 100-gram skeins. Each skein is 200 yards and $21. Here are the colors that we have in stock for sweater making:
Norumbega
Norumbega is a 100% US wool, spun in Maine at a family-run mill. This yarn was originally created 35 years ago by Halcyon for weavers. Norumbega’s smooth, uniquely pearly twist creates a squishy but durable fabric that is very resistant to pilling. Its warmth, softness, and long-lasting wear make it a great choice for sweaters, jackets, and winter accessories that will last season after season. Each skein is 116 yards and $16.
