Autumn Leaflet

I finished this sweater weeks ago but finally got some photographs today.  This is my SPAKAL project (Knitmore Girls’ Spinalong-Knitalong) and the first sweater I’ve ever made with handspun yarn.  The pattern is Leaflet by Cecily Glowik MacDonald.

Overall, I’m happy with this sweater and I’ll enjoy wearing it.  It’s really warm so I’m glad I didn’t lengthen the sleeves, and wearing it open also helps prevent overheating.  I’m pleased that I found this shirt to wear under it – it’s such a great contrast to the eggplant purple.

Earlier I said I thought that the neckband was a bit scratchy, but I’m not noticing that anymore.  Maybe a few ends needed to wiggle their way out, and now they’re gone?

If I were to knit it again, I would change the waist shaping.  The pattern is knit from the top down.  After the arms, the sides are decreased, and then increased again to a width even larger than they were just under the arms.  I would not increase beyond the number I started with, and I would knit more rows at the smallest circumference before increasing again.  In this photo, you can see a slight bulge at the waist that doesn’t match my body shape:

 
It becomes even more pronounced when I fasten the front with a shawl pin… so I won’t be doing that!  If I didn’t have to remove the entire neckband to unknit the bottom of the sweater, I would probably try to correct it.  But I think I can live with this.  It’s not going to keep me from wearing the sweater.

I get a little bulge at the top of the top leaf that doesn’t appear in Cecily’s photos… not sure why that is.So… a lot was learned from this project.  I spent more time spinning the same fiber than I ever have before, and I learned how to manage plying with a large project.  I knit this year’s sweater for myself and even got it done in time to wear to my first Rhinebeck (where it was duly admired).  I’m very pleased!

Now it can snow.  I’m ready.

Ravelry notes here.