A Work in Progress

This is one of five works in progress I have going right now. Simplicity is a nice and easy top-down raglan V-neck sweater I am constructing with Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca in the Moon Shadow colorway (grey is my second favorite color) on size 8 US circular needles and dpns and size 2 dpns for the sleeve cuff.

I embellished the shoulders with light blue 6-aught seed beads in a linear pattern.  With the sweater on, the seed beads form a triangle, highlighting the shape of the raglan increase.  I used the crochet hook method to add the beads as I knitted.  Check out my post – Knitting with Beads highlight a great video detailing the crochet hook method.

I decided on three-quarters sleeves because I always seem to push my sleeves up to that point when I wear sweaters anyway. I’m finishing the sleeves with a very generous 4.5 inch 1×1 ribbed cuff with much smaller needles for a super slick fit. I plan to use the tubular bind-off, of course.

The other sleeve is waiting for me on scrap yarn and if you’ve ever knit a raglan sweater, you know why. If you haven’t knit a raglan, one piece top-down sweater before, both sleeve openings were placed on scrap yarn early in the project after all top shoulder, neck and back shaping were done. It was at this point that I started to work in the round for the body and when I got to the sleeve openings I reserved the stitches on scrap yarn.

I may have mentioned in previous posts that I am not a huge fan of crew style necklines, mostly because they are so common, and to me, that makes almost every other neckline seem special.  For this sweater I chose my personal favorite, a V-neck style and knit the neckline with size US 2 dpns.  The most important embellishment to this sweater is the yarn.  The Ultra Alpaca yarn has a subtle halo that I was really excited to work with.  I’ve used about 4.25 skeins of yarn for this sweater thus far and should have no problem finishing it with 5 skeins, though I do have a sixth skein, just in case.  I found this yarn at Loopy Yarns, one of my favorite shops in Chicago.

I hope to finish up this project today (and maybe another project, too) while watch football and then I’ll only have 3 works in progress. 🙂 Wish me luck!