Tiffani's First Sweater!

I’m what you would consider a novice knitter. I’ve made a few hats, a couple of simple shawls and scarves, but that’s pretty much it, until now. The second we got this issue of Pom Pom in (last summer), I knew I had to have the sweater on the cover.

Pattern: Nouri Sweater from Pom Pom (Summer 2016)
Size made: 4
Yarn: Quince & Co.’s Kestrel  in Ash - pattern called for 11 skeins, it took me 12 (available in-store)
Modifications - none

My amazing co-workers are nothing, if not supportive and maybe even a little enabling when it comes to encouraging new projects. So, I dove in head first and cast-on this beauty when my husband and I went away for our anniversary...last June.

Now, I have to clarify that it didn’t actually take me the full year to knit this sweater. It spent much of it’s life thus far in a bag in my closet because I got stuck when the pattern called to join a second ball of yarn, which my brain just couldn’t wrap itself around. So, there it sat until the weather began to get warmer and everyone was talking of their plans to knit linen sweaters for the summer.  I’m lucky to have the support and guidance of some pretty awesome knitters at my disposal, so I sat down with Kaylee and she got me moving on this sweater again.

I’m not going to sugar coat it, I did not like working with two balls at once. It was cumbersome and annoying and it made this sweater almost impossible to be portable. The bottom half had gone so well and was relatively quick and fun with the cool detail on the side and since it was knit in the round, there was no purling to slow me down. I feel like the bottom half sailed by. But then I came to the sleeves, and my sailing came to an abrupt halt.

I used a combination of Youtube videos and bombarding my coworkers with questions, and eventually I got it worked out.  This sweater is knit out of Quince & Co.’s Aran weight linen, Kestrel. It was my first time working with a linen yarn and I have to say, I really liked working with it. Since it is chain plied, the pattern called to sew the ends together, which was different and saved me from having a million ends to weave in.

Before knitting this sweater, I had never worked with more than one working ball, I had never done a wrap and turn, I had never picked up a neckline or done a three needle bind off or mattress stitch. But now I have and I’m really proud of myself for tackling such a pattern for my very first sweater. It was definitely not beginner worthy, but I pushed thru and I’m in love with the end result.  It’s comfy and drapey and so cute and I’ll get to enjoy wearing it next week in the mountains when my husband and I go to celebrate our anniversary, again.