Two sleeves? Check.
Some kind of collar treatment? Check.
Blocked and totally done in every way? Check!
Pattern: Pure and Simple’s Shaped Neck-Down Cardi, pattern 241.
Yarn: Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca, color rust, just over 6 hanks?
Time: About three weeks from start to finish
Modifications/Thoughts: Plenty, this time. Aren’t top-down patterns written to be modified? The first modification I made was to lengthen the distance from the top until the closure. As written, the pattern had it falling well above the bust, and frankly my bust doesn’t need to look further from my collarbones than it already is. So, in my version, the clasp is at the fullest part of the bustline.
I also eliminated the ties called for in the pattern, opting to use a clasp instead.
Let’s see… I widened the sleeves a bit since my arms are large, and doubled the waist shaping since my waist is proportionally small. (I did this by adding two darts on the back of the sweater, about 1/4 of the way in from the sides.) The sweater has a decent amount of ease, but the added shaping definitely keeps it from making me look like a sack of potatoes. (This is important for me, since I really really dislike how much nursing has increased my bust size and I’m pretty sensitive about it.)
I’m really just thrilled with the way it turned out. I would probably knit the 40″ size and increase the bust with short rows rather than knitting the 44″ size, if I were to do this again–the front of the piece isn’t really shaped at all:
That’s a minor nit, though, on what is truly a fantastic sweater. The yarn is soft and warm, the sweater supremely comfortable, and the fit is better than any other sweater I own. And the color! Many, many thanks to Ellen at Purl Diva for helping me choose it. This is destined for frequent and regular wear.
Finally, as always, more information and pictures in the FO gallery.
Amy Herzog Designs