FO: Maeve

I finally carved out enough time to finish Maeve, and Friday afternoon, Mom popped over and we did an impromptu photoshoot in the backyard.

I made a few mods to this one. First being the construction of the sleeves/back. The pattern has you knit from one side to the other, starting at the cuff.  Instead, I started at the cuff, then knit to the centre back. I set it aside and did the same for the second side. Then I grafted the live stitches together at the centre back.

This was for two reasons:
1) Other knitters mentioned that the cast on of the first cuff didn't match the cast off of the second cuff.
2) It allowed me to adjust the back width easier. I made mine an inch less wide than the pattern, but I probably could have gone a touch smaller.

The second mod was the sleeve length. The pattern calls for 19", which is actually long enough for my monkey arms. But I wanted them extra long and cozy so I made them 21".

The last mod was to the rolled bands. They are knit all in one piece to 12", with an increase row every 4".  While the model in the pattern is tall and willowy, I've got a heck of a lot more curves - especially at the hips. The last thing I needed was a bunch of rolling bulky sweater drawing more attention to them. To combat this, I made use of short rows. Starting at the bottom centre back, I worked a series of short rows so their was more depth towards the top than the bottom. I still get the big cozy collar, but without all the extra fabric around the hips.

As you can see, it's perfect for warming up a sundress, but it's also handy to slip on over a pair of pjs on a cold winter morning. It's going to get lots of wear.

Now for particulars:
The pattern: Well-written an easy to follow. It's knit seamlessly, with minimal shaping. With only stockknit and garter, it's a great pattern for beginners. An for more advanced knitters, a nice relaxing zen knit.
The yarn: Baruffa Merinos Otto. This is probably one of my favourite commercial yarns. It's a super soft, springy extra-fine merino yarn that's pure heaven to knit with. It gives great stitch definition, and creates a soft, squishy fabric. It's not superwash, so there is some itch, but it is minimal, and it doesn't take long to get use to. This is the second garment I've knit with it. It won't be the last.