Yarn Notes

New yarn for Disdero Ranch! Laurie & I picked it up from the mill at the end of August after vending at Knit City Calgary (such a great turnout - Calgary, you rock!)

I was so inspired by all the colours in the mountains as we travelled between BC to Alberta, particularly through Golden with all the browns, greys, and greens. Now with the new highway completed, I can enjoy the view instead of sweating through the climb (or descent) white knuckling the panic bar.

This new worsted weight yarn Rox is composed of 70% Romney and 30% CVMco and comes in four natural (undyed colours). CVMco is the crossbreed of CVM/Romeldale sheep and Corriedale sheep at Disdero Ranch. It has a longer staple than the CVM/Romeldale and softer than the Corriedale. This yarn has the most exquisite lustre from the Romney, but with a softer hand from the CVMco.

Sweater Notes

14 Sept 2024

• I knit the yoke up to the neckline, and then took a look at it on the mannequin during the day. The colours were great on their own, but the pattern in the colorwork is delicate (not blocky) and needed two more contrasting colours than the Moss and Dark Grey. Frogged it.

24 Sept 2024

• Restart. This time working from the top down. Provisional cast-on at the neckline so I can decide later whether to add a ribbed crew neck or just an i-cord bind off.

• For the increases, I’m using the Inv-R increase: with the right-hand needle, lift the right leg of the stitch below on the left-hand needle. Knit that stitch and then slip the next stitch.

• Short rows worked backwards: In last row of colourwork, remove the stitch markers, but keep the BOR marker. Work next row, placing markers A, B, and C. Then work the 8 short rows from shortest to longest. The turns are resolved each time they are passed over instead of catching them all in the last row.

• I used Shadow Wrap (RS) and Shadow Wrap (WS) instead of w&t for my short rows. I find them easier, and they look better too.

• Completed yoke measures 8.5”, so I separated the body & arms immediately, without adding any more rows after short rows. Added extra stitch at each underarm for a purl stitch side seam to prevent body from twisting. Skipping the second set of short rows.

07 Oct 2024

• Waist shaping began about 2” after underarm and set in one-quarter inwards on each side seam, both front & back. I liked the cropped length, so the body is finished with 3” of rib and no increases for the hips (single taper). Neckline finished with 1” of rib.

Note: Knitting from top down, I began with a provisional cast-on and then immediately started with the chart. I should have begun with a row or two of the green first because when I unzipped the cast-on to add the rib, it was a weird row of alternating colours (green & grey) that once I knit the ribbed neckline clearly showed I picked up the stitches and started knitting in the opposite direction. Good grief. I fixed the look of it (sort of) by going over that row with duplicate stitches. It’s removed the gaps and separated the colours so they’re no longer overlapping.

10 Oct 2024

• First arm: Great directions! My first underarm I didn’t have to go in afterwards and fix the holes at the corners. Tapered to wrist as instructed but knit only to 13.5” because the yoke was about 1” too long.
• Wrist band, 2”, with final three rows: knit 1 row straight, next row with decreases, next row straight. Changed to smaller needles and knit transition row (sl1 wyib, p1), then finished cuff with k1, p1 for 1.5”. Cast off.

Sleeves are 17” long.

A Few Comments

The colour work for this pattern uses only two colours at a time, except for two rows, and those use three colours at a time. I think they’re totally worth the effort (I just took my time because what’s the hurry).

Row 11 of the chart is genius. It’s akin to the secret ingredient in a recipe - nobody can tell it’s there but it’s that little extra sparkle making it special. Genius!

I’m completely caught off guard with the look of the two different yarns used in this sweater - CVMco (Moss) and Rox (Cosmo & Constellation). The Rox is subtly lustrous, and the CVMco is matt. The Moss and the Cosmo are quite close in value, but because of the difference in glow I didn’t realize they’d look so… fabulous together. There’s a different depth to each, which makes them stand out from each other.

After blocking, I simply cannot stop looking at my sweater. Maybe I’m just in love.