photo shoot at historic Chautauqua Institute. I love the sweater, however need to find a top for underneath that will stay down! In tour mode… There were actually heels in that bag to change into but hubby said, “stay casual!”

hmm…. what surprises! After viewing the photos, I’ve come to like the way the ties on the sneakers compliment the weaving in the sweater! And, in the first photo, check out the detail of the fence! We did not even plan that!

I wrote this on the VK forum as someone was asking about the fit. Thought I would copy and paste my response here for others, too:

Oh, your comment has made my day. Thank you for such kind words. I chose purple because the design (in my opinion) being so creative needed to be noticed. Big color for a big (purple) punch. And, by looking at photos of my knitting, I think shades of purple seem to suit me. Excellent that you are working up swatches! You will succeed with that step, alone. The first blog post I wrote focuses on fit, that will be most helpful to you. In short:

1. know the size you want at the bustline. Specifically, how many inches or cm across. Not positive ease, not negative ease but a clear, concise number that is measurable with your tape measure. Use your wardrobe and measure crew necks whereby you love the fit. Measure about 5 of them, you will see a pattern of your personal comfort emerge.

2. knit a side panel, you may want to start with the recommended needle size 5. Knit up about 8 inches worth. Then, STOP and measure the width. Too narrow, go up a needle size, too wide, go down.

3. Use the schematic to know exactly how wide the designer intended the sections. You can easily compare the measure you are getting with the measure in the schematic.

4. Use smart references to help you. My smart reference was Good Measure, Knit a perfect fit every time by Deborah Newton. By smart reference, I mean a tried and true designer of years of experience, many published designs in high-end fashion magazines (VK), and who has written books published by a reputable publishing company (not self-published).

NOTE: Know that I used the exact yarn as called for in the pattern, I just changed the color. I had to use 1 size larger needle, the number of stitches for the 41” AND add an extra 2k2p panel to each side panel to get gauge. Mine measures 36” (34” + 2” for close-fitting) across at the bust. I never had to make so many adjustments but I achieved the EXACT fit I wanted. Message me or write here if you have any questions. Happy to help.