The challenge: knit an entire sweater! I’m sure this isn’t going to happen, but hey, it’s a challenge! I’ll settle for finishing the two halves though, so going for silver, hence the name ;)

PATTERN

Sizing:

• Take into account the fact that while the two halves block to a certain size, you’ll be adding cuffs. That means that the L size will actually, from one cuff to the other, measure 190 cm (!!) I’m tall, but not that tall, so I was at first a little too generous with my squares (That’s why I picked out a few rows after blocking…)
• CO 147 sts, but expecting my gauge to be off, so it should give me measurements for size M when it comes to length - ended up with L measurements, when blocked hard
• CO on 4 mm. needle - long tail cast on, then switched to 3.75 mm
• Cast on for both halves at the same time - I won’t be able to get exact same size either, I’m sure!
• suspended BO
• 280 grams per half, yielding an unblocked rectangle of 50 x 70 cms (before ripping)
• ripped out 18 rows (about 10 cm) after all - worth it, the size is much better now. (23 grams ripped out for each half)
• 1 skein(s) got me 26 cm/10 inches

Sleeves:

• 52 sts picked up, one for each st already there + a little extra
• knit 50 rows, then did a tubular BO, using this and this - it takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R, but is worth it! (am not sure it really needs 4 foundation rows though, but I know I need to watch my tension with the kitchener stitch!)

Collar:

• 43 sts
• provisonal co, picked out and replaced with a sewn BO, RS towards me
• Did the collar as two halves, because otherwise the bee stitch would have been upside down on one side - my brain couldn’t deal with that! So, two halves, making sure to put the loose ends on one side only, so I could use them for stitching the whole thing up. Three-needle suspended bind off for connecting the two halves (ended each half with a purl row)

Assembly:

• started with the back halves. There is no way these two babies are going to line up if you do CO to CO edge. So I put mine CO to BO. Worked. I wanted the sewn edge here (some people chose to just knit the entire back piece in one), but I think this gives it a little structure and shape.
• Then measured out the cuff opening and sewed the sleeve seam. You’re instructed to pick up and knit the cuffs, then seam - I don’t think there’s a particular reason why it should be done in that order, and well, I did it the other way around.

YARN

• Cathrin did the loveliest of custom orders, scrunching together all of the BFL non-superwash she had left - and look and behold, even though I thought I might be cutting it short, I have TWO skeins left! Admittedly, I think the skeins are a little overweight, but still… The amount given in the pattern seems way overshot. At least for me.

• The colour is perfect - how Cathrin managed to make something so pretty with my description of: oyster-mother-of-pearl-ish, but not dark is beyond me. But that’s why she’s so good at what she does ;)