I can only remember once before where I walked into a shop and decided to buy the exact yarn for the exact pattern of the shop sample. I chose a different colorway, but this floofy alpaca yarn, with just one strand, gives the correct gauge. So instead of crazy expensive kid silk mohair I have a cloud of color for way less cost. We will have to see how the yarn holds up. In the photo where I have it to ribcage length and one sleeve to the elbow it feels like I’m scarcely wearing anything at all!

So far my only thing is that I wish the“V” weren’t quite so deep on me--it’s a personal comfort thing (gapping--not what I want to do) only. I like to knit the body until the skein used at sleeve separation runs out, then switch to making the sleeves. Then I know how much yarn I have left and can make the body as long or short as I want/can.

July 5, 2023

Used 183 grams, so a bit over 3 1/2 balls.

Yarn: the core is strong, which is good because the fluff is definitely fluffy. Yarn is soft in the ball and becomes softer once wet blocked. It is almost impossible to unravel. I undid about half of my swatch, but then it just wouldn’t come un-done. The good news is that means if you drop a stitch it doesn’t go anywhere…. when done I popped it on and discovered that 12” above the bottom hem (where you end) I dropped a single stitch--right smack under the V on the front! I was able to repair with a strand of yarn and even I can barely find it.

Pattern: easy. I wondered if I would like the i-cord edges, but made them anyway. For the sleeve cuffs I narrowed the sleeve more than the pattern calls for because I have very skinny wrists. I wanted a little give, and the i-cord using the recommended “reduce one stitch every fourth cast-off” still allows me to push the sleeves up.

For the hem, that rate was a bit too much for my hips, so I reduced one stitch every 6th stitch. It is hard with the fluff to see which stitch is the one where you decreased, so I ended up using light bulb safety pins. I counted off 5 stitches, then put a pin around two stitches (the “6th” stitch where you knit three together instead of two for the i-cord bind off). I did that all the way around and it made is SO much easier to not mess up the spacing.

I’ve stayed away from Suri alpaca because I have been skeptical of how it will wear. This is similar (same?) so will find out. The sweater is light as a feather!