Remember when I unraveled a thrift store sweater that didn’t fit right because it was made of a beautiful cotton yarn? (https://www.hodgepodgehomesteading.com/2023/05/12/making-yarn-from-thrifted-sweaters/) I have been puttering around with it in my purse for the last few months and working in this!
It’s a really simple cropped knit t-shirt pattern I found over at DROPS. (https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=10914&cid=17) They have a wealth of free patterns and I wanted something simple that would let the yarn shine. The pictures really don’t do it justice, it is a beautiful deep burgundy and so soft to the touch.
I chose a very basic pattern on purpose, because I have a habit of wanting to make fancy things and pretty dresses. Which is fine, I like to wear pretty things, but it means that I am often reaching for other more casual clothes day to day while my handmade clothes sit in the closet. (I have heard this called “Too much frosting, not enough cake”, which is both delightful and explains it perfectly.)
I have been challenging myself to focus a bit more on my wardrobe staples lately. Everyday dresses, casual sweaters, and the kind of tops I can pair with a pair of shorts and go work in the garden in without having to be precious about it. This little sweater has captured that spirit perfectly. It matches so many things and is perfect to toss over a summer outfit when the breeze is chilly. I am also hoping it will be a good weight to wear as a top in the winter months.
My only complaints about this sweater are on me and not the pattern. The neckline is a bit higher than I was looking for in the original pattern, so I didn’t use the smaller sized needles on that bit of ribbing. Combining that with the extra ease the sweater develops during the day and it can look a bit stretched out by evening. I also didn’t factor in just how much the yarn would relax at this gauge. I have had to throw it in the dryer after every wear for it to regain it’s shape. (Which has worked, but it will shorten the life of the garment.)
I have definitely leaned my lesson and am knitting the next one on smaller needles! Yes, there was plenty of yarn left over after this project and I have another small top in the works. Not the same pattern, but that is all I am willing to spoil for now…
Other than the fact that it is very funny to be knitting it while also wearing this sweater. I tell people it’s to camouflage my crafting so that I can knit stealthily wherever I am.
What do you think? Not bad for an unwearable potato of a sweater right?
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