I (wilkygirl) knit this sweater for myself. I adore Kim Hargreaves’s pattern and have knit a number of them over the last few years. I was excited by the Rowan Felted Tweed with its superb colour selection and having the possiblity of working with it to create Beatrix. I am tall, and I had noticed that some knitters who preceded me in doing this project had noted needing a little length in the arms and body. I decided to add about an inch of length in the peplum without fooling with the length of the body. I was more concerned about the proportions of the overall garment, and felt that length in the peplum would make the sweater sing. I obsessively knit ‘Beatrix’, immediately seamed it and tried it on…. in a word, lovely. I did a final block, and I was quite distressed at how much it grew in length. It grew even more in the wearing of it, the soft fabric of the yarn easing and expanding. I had been doing some sample knitting for the Beehive Wool Shop and they felt ‘Beatrix’ would be very happy in her new home as a sample. She looks so good in these pictures!

A final word: If anyone is thinking of doing this pretty sweater, please make a swatch (or two) and block it (them) to ensure that you have achieved a firm fabric, particularly if you choose Felted Tweed. If I were to do this piece again, I’d go down a size or two with my needles.