01-15-2021 - an odd start

I don’t know why but I’ve become obsessed with this odd colour combo: charcoal grey, amber, and peach!?
I have 900 metres all together so I decided to start from the inspiration of Kate Davies Stronachlachar, which uses a similar amount of yarn and comes out at this gauge. I also like the idea of using the increases at the top to make the drop shoulders, but then I want to add sleeves. I started out by casting on 6 stitches more than the second size of that sweater:

Long-tail cast on 222 st. 1x1 twisted rib for 15 rows.

01-28-2021 Sleeves or no sleeves?

Now that I’ve completed the front and am knitting up the back, I’m considering whether or not I want sleeves…Somehow I’m now envisioning this as a drop-shoulder, long-sleeved sweater with a turtleneck, something more like a sweatshirt? Perhaps I’ll put the shoulders together and steam block before I decide…

02-14-2021 worked out the neck and started sleeves

So, with a bit of advice from my husband, I managed to figure out how I wanted to finish the neck and how to make the raised ridge go across the shoulder and up the sides of the neck.
This is the challenge of trying to design something! I’m thinking of a sweatshirt (felpa) that I used to have 20 years ago and trying to recreate that fit but it’s a bit touch and go. I’ve ripped back the sleeves and changed the number of stitches and the rate of decreases 3 times now. Fortunately it seems that 3rd time really is the charm, I’m happy with the sleeve circumference and think I can get it to where I want it while maintaining a shape that I like.

03-01-2021 finishing and decorative ridge

Now washed and blocked. Really happy with the fit! It is as comfortable as a sweatshirt and the sleeves have a nice shape as I decided to go down to a 3.5mm needle for the ribbing and then crochet a decorative ridge from neck to cuff which keeps the sleeves from dragging down the shoulders. It also helps that the yarn is a lofty semi-worsted so the whole thing stays lightweight. The stitch definition also subtly highlights the branching increases which I kept in the same place as in Stronachlachar, just without the textured panels.