I’ll knit as instructed! (My brain just doesn’t grasp a top-down version right now!) Row gauge works for 5mm needles but the stitch gauge is off so I’ll knit a medium and get a large… hopefully! :-)

The yarn isn’t exactly washed, just soaked in hot water and hung to dry. Just amazing bloom:-)

I have a few issues with Jared’s pattern this time..Not so much how it’s written, it’s mostly written well enough, but the design of the pages and the font colour. What is with the light coloured print on the yellow back ground? I can hardly read the instructions!? My old, bifocal eyes really have to strain and I have to pick up the page and put it under good light to read it?? WHY! Sorry but I like black on white, thanks…. K.I.S.S.

Mods: (More mods than I thought there would be!?)

• I did the waist shaping but not exactly where the markers are but put 11 stitches between the increase/decrease stitches. I dislike shaping that just has a stitch or 2 between… So I used 4 markers, 2 on each side, with 9 stitches between.

• I cast on 40 stitches for the sleeves. That is wide enough…I will have to modify the increases accordingly. (increase every 6th row instead of 8th row… that should do the trick:-)

• Jared doesn’t mention anything about the stitches set aside for under the arms??? Nothing?* I’ll 3 needle BO them off but I would assume that they are suppose to be grafted after. (?)

• I didn’t do the mid back short rows… I don’t see the point but I will do the upper short rows. Those make sense.. so do the lower ones.

• I did 2 extra rows of short rows at the back of the neck.

• Did my final decreases at the neck line on the last 2 purls rounds so I would have the same number of ridges as the sleeves and waist.

• I did a normal BO with a 6.5mm crochet hook. My yarn isn’t strong enough for a sewn BO!

• Decided to do reverse St.st between the cables on chart B just for some contrast. I like it a lot:-)

This is like knitting bunnies! Oh so soft!

The close up picture is the closest to the actual colour!

I am so happy to be knitting with this yarn, it’s like a warm hug! I got 16 rows knit up yesterday and the cables look pretty good… and it’s a dream to knit! (It could look like a dead cat and I’d still be in love and anxious to put it on! ;-) Did I tell you how soft it is? LOL!

Stop what I am doing and check my gauge…. The purple yarn differs by 2.25 stitches over 4”… What?

From the swatches:
Purple works out to 18.25 stitches (this works = 43.85”)
lilac/blue works out to 16.5? (48.5” does not work!!)
Pattern gauge is 20… ??? Oh dear!

20 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette St

That can’t be right? Must dig out the lilac/blue swatch… or make a new one…

Dec 6th

I am still unsure of my gauge issues but I am plodding on. Shoot, if I get through this one ball, about 100 grams, and it looks too big, I’ll frog and knit a smaller size! I’d love to knit this again… yes, the yarn is that soft! :-)

I re-soaked and threw my swatch in the dryer and it tightened up the gauge quite nicely! It also fluffed and seemingly got EVEN SOFTER and I don’t know how that is even possible but it is!

Dec. 8th

The lower body is almost done and gauge is working for me! Yeah! Approx. 130 grams used. The piece measures 13” x 44. 4 more short rows and a few filler rows and then I can start the sleeves! (But I might knit to 16”.. It’s looking a bit on the short side and I would hate to not have enough length!)

Dec. 13th

The body and the sleeves = 250 grams. 200 for the yoke.. might need that much as all those cables really eat yarn!

Dec. 15th

1/2 through the yoke and I still have 140 grams left?? Lots of mileage with this yarn… and I was worried that I might come up short!!

Dec 17th

360 grams! (90 left over:-)

It’s gorgeous! I can’t believe that it weighs this little!?

It stretched a BUNCH with washing so it took a hot tumble in the dryer till damp! I laid it flat to finish drying. Now it is perfect! :-)