Longwool Love is a relaxed, boxy sweater designed to show off the strong, lustrous wool offered up by some of our more unlikely fiber animals: longwool sheep, angora goats, llamas and Suri alpacas. Its simple construction means you can knit it up in a snap! Choose a lightweight yarn if you prefer a looser, open knit fabric with a translucent quality. Or, for more warmth and a bit more heft, choose a medium weight yarn. The pattern offers many opportunities to customize for your preferences: cropped, hip-length or tunic length, variable ¾ sleeves and a wide, relaxed neckline or more gathered crew neck style.

Want to make a real difference while knitting this sweater? Pick a yarn made from one of the longwool sheep breeds. Most are on the conservation list in the UK and US. Their sheep keepers could use your support! Heritage/conservation longwool breeds include

Blue-faced Leicester
Border Leicester
Cornwall Longwool
Cotswold
Dartmoor
Devon Longwool
Leicester Longwool
Lincoln
Romney
Teeswater
Wensleydale

You can find yarns from these sheep at regional fiber festivals, farmer’s markets and occasionally at your LYS. For direct farm support in the US, source your yarn by searching the Livestock Conservancy’s “Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em” heritage breed directory. In the UK, look for a yarn shop or producer that specializes in locally produced yarns from British Breeds, like Fine Fettle Fiber, John Arbon Textiles, The Wool Clip or The Natural Fibre Company (plus so many more).

Sizes
Size 1 - XS/SM for bust sizes 30-34 inches/76-86 cm
Size 2 - M/L for bust sizes 34½-42 inches/87-107 cm
Size 3 - XL-2X for bust sizes 42½-50 inches/108-127 cm
Size 4 - 3X-5X for bust sizes 50½-60 inches/128-152 cm

Notions
1-2 stitch markers, 2-3 stitch holders (or interchangeable cables with screw-on ends or scrap yarn for holding live stitches), crochet hook.

Baby Cable Ribbing Used in Sample
Rows 1: (WS) p2, k2; repeat from to end.
Row 2: (RS) k2, p2; repeat from to end.
Row 3: Repeat row 1.
Row 4: (RS) k2tog but leave both stitches together on left-hand needle, insert right-hand needle between the two stitches just knitted together and knit the first stitch again, slide both stitches off left-hand needle together, p2; repeat from to end.
Continue working rows 1-4 until you reach desired ribbing length.