I've been wanting to move my blog away from Blogspot for a while but could never be bothered to actually do it. This week was the tipping point though, and I've now fully migrated over to https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . The blogspot address will remain here but all new posts will only appear at https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . There are lots of reasons for the move but my biggest one is how hard Blogger has made it for people to subscribe to receive new posts via email. It's such a basic requirement but apparently, they think it's too much to offer. I'm basing this purely on how I myself prefer to consume this stuff. I can't be arsed with feed readers anymore and emails are easy and convenient. When I receive one, if I fancy reading it, I will click through to it and, if not, I'll just delete it. Another reason is the spat between Google (owners of Blogger) and Instagram/Facebook/Meta. I don't even know if this is still the case anymore ...
Earlier this year I said that although I don't really believe in resolutions I wanted to achieve certain things. One of which was to knit more. Knitting was my gateway drug into becoming a maker. For many, many years I knitted most days. For hours. Then I started sewing and the knitting fell by the wayside. I love being able to sew and constantly wear what I make. Too many knitted garments worn at the same time can look a bit like overkill to me. 😬 But I do miss the process and I really love relaxing in front of the TV on a night, with a dog tangled around my yarn and legs while I work on some knitting.
So when the urge hit me last month, I wasted no time and cast on this beauty. This is the Wool and Honey sweater by Andrea Mowry. I've had an eye on this jumper for a long time. The honeycomb pattern has long fascinated me and every version I've seen looks great. But this is the version that tipped me over the edge. I actually saw it in person while it was still a work in progress. Vicky had it with her at the Sew Up North meet up last year and I was smitten.
Her Instagram post about it when she had finished it was the push I needed to get started. I cast on on the 9th of January and finished it exactly a month later, last Sunday night, the 9th of February. I couldn't have planned that if I had tried.
The yarn is Rauma Finull PT2 which I bought from the Ysolda website. I originally bought it to make a Wardie cardigan and I had started it but decided to unravel it and knit this instead. I'm sure I'll make that one day but I just wasn't in the mood for a pieced cardigan.
Even though I wouldn't describe the yarn as soft, I personally don't find it scratchy. I have a high threshold for that though. I'd recommend feeling the yarn first, unless you know you'll wear it with layers underneath. It softened up considerably after blocking and it hasn't stretched at all. The colour is something else. Very saturated and a gorgeous brick red/rusty shade. It does bleed a little, so if you want to use it for colourwork, be warned.
The pattern is great. This was my first experience with a DRK pattern and I've already bought another 3 of hers to knit soon. For one, it's clear and well written. Two, there are written instructions as well as a chart for the yoke portion. And finally, all her explanations are very clear and easy to understand. Yes, I'm an experienced knitter but the honeycomb pattern is something I've never knitted before and I'm sure it isn't the easiest thing to put into words.
The neck is started with a tubular cast on, which I love the look of and really enjoy knitting. You also work some short rows at the back of the neck to stop the jumper riding up, which I appreciate. Also, I bloody love short rows. The whole thing is knitted top-down, in one piece so there is a jog at the beginning/end of the round, as you can see above. It almost looks like a seam. I've read that some people don't like that very much but it doesn't bother me.
I made the smallest size - 39" bust, recommended ease 4" to 9". Mine is much wider than that at 42 inches. That's due to my yarn being sport weight and the fact I didn't knit a tension square for this. Because it's a loose fit, I checked the square I'd made for the Wardie and winged it from there. Sometimes it pays to be lazy. I made my sleeves slightly longer than the pattern suggests. I used 338g in total, which is about 6.75 balls. I was going to go for full length but was worried about running out of yarn. Then, on Monday, while the jumper was blocking, guess what I found in my knitting box? Exactly, an extra ball. 🤦♀️
I'm usually not a fan of round yoke jumpers: they make my shoulders look MASSIVE. But this one looks so good. I really like the oversized fit. I used to like my knitting to be very close fitting but now I prefer a relaxed look. Must be a sign of getting old. The finished jumper is one of my favourite things I've ever knitted and I can't wait to knit another DRK pattern. Here is the Ravelry project link, if you want to have a look.