Pre-sewing in loose ends and blocking:
A few months ago I decided it was time to knit my first sweater. Serendipitously, the Woolful summer knitalong was just beginning, and it asked knitters to pick a pattern from Hannah Fettig's new book Home and Away, which is full of beautiful sweater patterns. (You can see my Moto Vest from the Woolful spring knitalong here.) I bought a copy of the book and decided on the Lesley Pullover because the construction was straight-forward, it used large yarn (aran weight), and I liked the simple design. I opted for the top down seamless route, but if you prefer seamed patterns, do not worry! Both ways are provided for every sweater pattern in Home and Away. Hannah Fettig is also the co-creator of the wonderful podcast knit.fm, which did an episode on understanding a sweater pattern (#3). I re-listened to that episode before starting my project, and would recommend that anyone who is new to sweater knitting, or has not done it in a while, do the same. I then visited my local yarn store Argyle Yarns, which carries Quince & Co. yarn - yay! - and purchased four skeins of Osprey in frost.
I did my gauge swatch and ended up moving up a needle size from the recommendations, meaning I used sizes US10 and US10.5. The project went very quickly, and I was able to finish my sweater in a few weeks. I could not be happier with how it turned out, and I would definitely recommend this sweater to any knitter interested in tackling their first sweater. The pattern is easy to understand, and because it uses large needles, you will be able to see your progress quickly.
It has only just begun to feel like sweater weather in Brooklyn, but I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to sport my new Lesley Pullover soon. I have already started on my second sweater -- the Hancock from Home and Away -- and it is going great so far. Follow me on Instagram - @annaknitsetc - for real-time updates!
