Sweaty Summer, Summer Sweater

Summer is almost over and it was another whirlwind of park playdates, pool time, vacations, weddings and library visits. I have been a pinning fool this summer with visions of free mornings during the school year dancing through my head, so I should have a lot of blog fodder at the very least. School is just around the corner and I am committing to post at least three times per week throughout the school year.

To kick things off, let's talk knitting. I have wanted to knit a sweater for myself for some time now, and saw through Pepperberry Knits that Luvinthemommyhood was hosting a Sweater Knit-along. I hadn't heard of her prior to this kal, but she has a lot of great posts about both knitting and sewing, in addition to lifestyle photos and crafts.

This Summer Sweater Knitalong can be found on Ravelry with a full discussion board and she also has a pin board featuring a lot of the patterns that are being knit by the participants. I love the idea of this knitalong. You start a sweater at the end of the summer, so that it's actually ready to wear when the brisk autumn days catch us by surprise in our shorts and t's. I am excited to be participating, but have just in the last week or so been able to dedicate real time to it and I'm finally making progress. I chose the pattern Hitch by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark.

Photo via pattern page on ravelry.com by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark

The pattern as written produces a hip-height three-quarter sleeve sweater. Hip length looks terrible on me, so I was planning to do one extra repeat of the cabled lace motif. However, I didn't read the pattern ahead as carefully as I should, so it'll actually be about four inches longer. Hitch is knit in two pieces, from the bottom up. When you complete the front half of the sleeves, the top stitches are held and then grafted together with those from the top of the back half of the sleeves so that the only seam I'll have to sew will be up the side and under the sleeve in one continuous line. I think I can do that without making it look like a kindergartner stood in for me, but you never know.

The yarn is KnitPicks Palette, which is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool, in the color Mai Tai Heather. I wanted to use a less expensive yarn for my first in case it was a total disaster, but I didn't want it to feel so cheap that I wouldn't wear it, so this is a nice middle ground, wool yarn. It's fingering weight, which means itty bitty stitches for the scale of a sweater, but that will just make the next sweater I do in worsted weight seem all the more simple and speedy.

Here's my progress shot, and I have until September 18th to finish with the group, but the back is all stockinette so it will fly off the needles.

(increases made just before casting on the stitches for the sleeves)

What do you think? Have you tackled an adult sweater yet? I have so many in my queue!