I have been watching Inge’s Knitting Lab podcast (IngesKnittingLab) for a while now, and when the call for test knitters came, I threw my hat into the ring. The amount of effort and study that went into this pattern is phenomenal, and I was very intrigued by the European shoulder construction as well as the yarn analysis that considered the ways that the fabric would shrink upon blocking.

The focus on various body shapes was very welcome. I’ve written about this before (see my Fiber Arts: Manifesto) but when so much of the fiber realm focuses on aesthetics and not praxis, you end up with a lot of a) shoddy shortcuts and b) practices that are meant to hide the results of faulty design (mohair, chunky yarn, oversized garments, boxy shaping, etc.) So it was a real pleasure to “fine-tune” this sweater for my own morphology.

Knitting designers and podcasters that I am familiar with who do this are few and far between, and I can’t recommend this pattern enough, as well as the podcast. I’ve learned a lot knitting this, and am inspired to take on more challenging constructions. I’m even reconsidering my disdain for merino wool, which is a major accomplishment. I was 5 months late with my test knit, so a lesson in not biting off more than I can chew. All the same, very highly recommended.