The Weekender sweater, finished

I bound off this sweater and gave it a bath several weeks ago, on July seventeenth, specifically. As excited I am to have a completed, hand-knitted sweater for whenever fall weather arrives here, it took some time/effort to take pictures and bear the thought of actually wearing it.

However, a few weeks ago, I went to coffee with my friend Molly and she took a few pictures of me wearing it, before we melted in the heat. And to be fair, I actually wore it inside for the duration of our coffee drinking, talking, and knitting time.

And you guys, I love this sweater. For being a rather seasoned knitter (15 years, going strong), I've only been a sweater knitter for the last four, so they still feel rather special. This is the first sweater I've ever knit that wasn't in a 100% wool yarn, but an organic wool/cotton blend. It felt soft when I knit with it, and softened even more when I washed it. And because it's a blend, I could even wash it in the machine, if I ever need to.

Honestly, I was worried when the yarn arrived and I saw how gold the yarn was. Yellow is not a color I gravitate towards and that lovely fall-ish gold that everyone loves? I can't wear it. But this yarn is warmer, richer, and less yellow-y. And I was pleasently surprised as I was knitting it that the color didn't seem to wash me out as I expected.

The fit and feel of this sweater make it feel very much like a favorite sweatshirt, and I plan to wear it as such. So many people have knit and loved this sweater for that reason, I think. Ease of making, ease of wearing, and the comfort of a fitted-in-the-shoulders-but-easy-in-the-body sweater. And as always, I cannot emphasize how special it feels to wear something that you planned from the start and spent hours making, to wear and have as a piece in your closet for years to come. It's magic.

Details

For even more details, you can see my ravelry project page

Yarn: O-wool balance, 50% certified organic merino, 50% certified organic cotton, in travertine (aren't her other colors gorgeous?)

Size: small, which includes the intended 10" of ease

Pattern: The Weekender, by Andrea Mowry

Needles: US 6 for the ribbing, US 7 for the body. I sized down, as is my usual for my seriously loose tension. The designer suggests a US 8 for the ribbing and a US 9 for the body(!)

Specifics/modifications: I alternated skeins the entire time, since this a hand-dyed yarn and I didn't want a pooling effect. I think I also added a little bit of length? I can't remember exactly, but I think it to the length of a favorite RTW sweatshirt.