Cherry Red Aran

Finally the sweater is finished, and it actually fits. No, really, apart from a bit of a high back neckline, this does actually fit. Not always the case with garments that I knit.

It was knit top down, using the instructions given by Wendy Bernard in Custom Knits. She gives instructions for a plain raglan, which I've used before, but this time I cautiously added a bit of detail; a cabled braid down the front and sleeves. Whilst its best not to look too closely at the section where I began the braid, counting of stitches not being my most advanced skill, it did come out pretty close to what I had in my head. The braid pattern came from my Harmony Guide to Cable and Aran stitches and I will admit was chosen because it was an easy pattern to work upside down, in the round, without complex calculations and reversals of pattern rows from purl to knit and I understood where it needed to be put on the round to come out in the right place. Its drawn up a bit more than I had anticipated on the sweater but I suspect that it might relax back a bit flatter once I start to wear it.

I added ten stitches under the arms to give a much more relaxed fit and the finished item has about six inches of ease which should be about right for a top layer to wear over a couple of thinner tops for autumn and winter. This yarn is a bit too scratchy to ever wear with nothing under it. Its Troon Tweed from Texere Yarns and is an oiled wool (so it does smell somewhat sheepier than some yarns would). It should be a very hardwearing sweater though. My previous oiled wool sweater lasted me about six years, having been passed down from mum who had it for some years before that. Its the same yarn I used for the Durran Durra cardigan earlier this year. I wore the cardigan three days last week as the weather was a little cool, and the cardi was very warm indeed. So I have high hopes for the usefulness of this sweater in the depths of winter.