u/odaenerys

(Posted in the main knitting sub, but was told to share my FO here too, so I'm obliging and adding some technical details.)

This was my first time drafting a pattern from scratch, so there are probably some technical or construction things I did wrong, but I'm happy with the final result. It was quite important to do at least some waist shaping, but I chickened out of learning darts and combining them with intarsia, so I ended up with simple increases and decreases at seams.

II initially planned on applied I-cord edges, but (as more advanced knitters might have already guessed) they didn't stop the edges from curling. Then I remembered a really cool technique from one of my previous projects: a folded hem with a seam linked using a crochet hook. It worked perfectly, not only for the edges but also for the tie hole. The geometry of the edge made picking up stitches challenging, though. I had to frog a few times to get them spread evenly.

Another concern was the stability of the piece, since the yarn has 35% alpaca, which, according to my research, is quite prone to sagging. Fortunately, the fairly tight gauge seems to keep it stable enough, and the woven-in ends add some extra stability too.

Yarn: Drops Flora 38, 39, 32, 29, 26, 23, 17, 15, 13, 10, 8, 7
Needles: 2,5 mm body, 2mm ribbing, folded edge and icords, 1.5mm crochet hook for linking seam
Pattern: None, I just calculated everything to fit the measurements.
Link: Ravelry

Wanted to try stranded colorwork for some time, and by coincidence, I found this absolutely perfect pattern. Only halfway through have I read that bamboo yarn may not be the best choice for this technique, but I decided to finish it anyway and never regretted! The tee feels super soft and breathable.

For the long floats, I've decided to learn the ladderback jacquard technique. I'm fine with how the wrong side looks and feels. The contrast color only peeks through a bit where I had to anchor the ladders at the end of the colorwork, which doesn't really bother me.

The whole project took about two months, but I've learned a lot and definitely enjoyed the process (and dinos, of course!)

Pattern: Fossil Frenzy Tee by Mary P. Hunt
Yarn: Viking of Norway Bambino 433, 407
Needles: 3mm & 2.5 mm

After 300+ hours of work, I've finished my first cabled sweater as a gift for my dad!

He specifically requested a half-zip sweater and a thinner version, suitable for spring. At first, I had a hard time finding a pattern, since I also wanted to try knitting in the round. I haven't done cables before, but these are the most basic ones, so I didn't even bother using a cable needle. I also didn't realise how long male XL size would take on 3mm needles + 2mm for ribbing, but anyway.

My dad and I are both happy with the final result! Some yarn and pattern reviews below.

Pattern: Keep It Braids Polo by Natalie Pelykh.

I really wanted to love this pattern, but... It started as quite a detailed one, even too detailed - some instructions were confusing because of too much explaining. It got progressively worse, and the confusion peaked around the most complicated part - the neckline and sewing the zipper in. I was able to follow some parts only because I speak all the languages the pattern is written in. The English version had lines not present in the original one. On the bright side, I have learned a lot of cool techniques and solved some puzzles lol.

Yarn: BC Garn Bio-Balance GOTS in Curry.

Although the pattern suggests cashmere, I knew my dad would never wear (and properly care for it), so this is probably the best substitute yarn I've found. Very nice cotton/wool mix, not scratchy at all, knits nicely. Even though I've ordered all skeins at the same time and double-checked the dye lot on all of them, I've ended up with a straight line of a different color around mid-body. Unfortunately, I've noticed it only during blocking. It's somewhat visible in real life, but overall, the sweater looks nice.

Some advantages of knitting large projects on 3mm needles: you get long, uninterrupted stretches of knitted fabric (and can see all of your tension mistakes...)

Pattern: Keep It Braids Polo by Natalie Pelykh

Yarn: BC Garn Bio-Balance GOTS in Curry