Pescadero

I wear a lot of raglan sweaters and tops – it's one of my favorite constructions. But I held off on designing them for quite a while; most hand-knitting raglan patterns are worked all in one from the top down, which I find difficult to fit a wide variety of bodies. I eventually decided to do my own thing, and released the Pescadero pattern for my inaugural make. wear. love. west coast retreat collection.

Pescadero has most of what I like in a sweater: It's relaxed but not giant. Interesting to knit but not too fussy. Some waist shaping, but on the back only to keep things relaxed. The front has a small, allover lace pattern, and I just love the way it worked out. It's the single best sweatshirt-y sweater I've ever had, and I've knit myself a lot of sweaters.

Pescadero is made from Indigodragonfly Wingenhooven, a lustrous fingering-weight blend of superwash merino, yak, and silk. I worked it up at 7.5 stitches to the inch, and the fabric is beyond amazing. It's soft, has an incredible subtle sheen, and has lovely drape thanks to the silk. It breathes and moves with me. It's a little scrunchy, a little fluid, and moves with me well.

So there you have it. My first raglan design, and a sweater that I love to wear - that shows the best of what this construction can be.

Sizing

32¾ (34¾, 36½, 39¼, 41, 43, 44¾, 47½, 49¼, 52, 57½, 60¼)’'83.5 (88, 93, 99.5, 104.5, 109, 114, 120.5, 125.5, 132, 146.5, 153) cm

Raglans need a bit of breathing room in the shoulders; I recommend choosing a size 3-4'' (7.5 - 10cm) larger than your bust (upper torso circumference).

Gauge

30 sts and 44 rows = 4 inches in St st

Materials:

4 (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8) hanks of Indigodragonfly Wingenhooven. Shown in color Pescadero: The Fear of Jumping Sharks.

Construction:

Pescadero is worked in pieces from the bottom up, and then seamed, for stability. The raglan lines are shaped with compound shaping - which means that the raglan shaping changes from armhole up to shoulder - sometimes it's steeper, sometimes it's shallower -- to better match the body. It's worked with back waist shaping only, to give it a relaxed, but not boxy, feel.