About the pattern

What I like:
Good layout, you only have to print certain pages

What I don‘t like:
Somehow I feel disoriented, can‘t say exactly why. Will investigate.

I think the balance between saying too much and saying too little is off at times. For someone with a short attention span, it‘s bad to state (at the beginning of the pattern) „Slip all sts purlwise“. That‘s so easy to forget when you‘re knitting the first 60 rows (or more) without slipping a single stitch. Why not say so when it‘s relevant? I‘m not even sure it‘s relevant AT ALL.

Clarity can definitely be improved. I don‘t like patterns telling me to do something every x-th row, „and at the same time, when garment measures x“, do something else. Why the shorthand? Why not tell me what to do in which row? Why do I have to track two different counters (row number and length), when the designer could have translated length (via gauge) into row count? That‘s lazy writing.

Not enjoying the way the pattern is written. Will probably stay away from this designer in the future.

Lessons learned

• Make sure you understand how the pockets are constructed (I needed help from my designer friend). Photos would have helped a lot!
• The pockets are small. Big enough to put in a key or so, but not your hands. I started them as written and then increased sts toward the middle of the garment until my hand fitted nicely.
• If you run low on yarn, make the front first, when you still have enough balls of yarn, because when constructing the pockets, you will have 3 balls in use at the same time. When constructing the v-neck, you will use 2 balls at a time.
• If running low on yarn, consider making the pocket insides in a different yarn.
• When constructing pockets, consider using a needle and waste yarn instead of a dpn, because using a dpn alongside your regular needle makes everything stiff and unwieldy, and I had a hard time picking up the pocket-inside-stitches
• Choosing a lighter yarn for the pockets makes them less saggy, draggy and bulky (red and brown pockets in photo). 2nd attempt using mohair lace, because the pockets are not meant to hold stuff, but warm my hands (I am always cold) Worked out well, does not drag the tunic down and is VERY cosy!

About the yarn

It‘s great if you like plucking out the long stiff hairs that have a name which I forgot. Very fluffy after washing, nice drape but does have substantial body. Very warm. Well spun. Smells of sheep. A pleasure to knit. Not next-to-skin soft (no surprise there), but to be recommended when a lighter alternative to Léttlopi is needed. VERY reasonably priced and you gotta love four-horned sheep!!

Errata

Watch out: This pattern has errata published: http://www.versaciknits.com/errata-3/

My Modifications

• Omitted i-cord as per pattern and used very clear instructions of my Pommier Vest to make an i-cord around the armholes after seaming the garment. Only change to those instructions were: omitted the CCO3 at the start to make the start of the i-cord less bulgy and easier to hide under its own end

• Improvised upper armhole and shoulder shaping of back piece. Very happy with it.

• three-needle bind-off on shoulders. Clean and easy.

• Used a different yarn for pockets (see above)