My first-ever pullover. I’ve compiled all sorts of notes, as well as tips from others’ projects. I hope that lowers the odds of catastrophe.
Using a yarn that is thicker than designer’s, but mostly because of its floof factor. It’s so gorgeous and soft.
My swatch, knit on US 10.5 needles, achieved gauge just from washing it and pinning it down with blocking wires to make it a straight-sided rectangle -- no intentional stretching or hard blocking. This is a mostly alpaca yarn, though, which already has drape, and since it is only bulky because of its halo, it will not be really dense. I argued with myself if I should just use the same needle/non-stretch combo for the sweater, but I compromised by just dropping down a needle size so there’s room to do some stretching later, as needed.
Skipping the ribbing and using the same method I used on the swatch to avoid curling on stockinette hems. It worked great on the swatch. If it doesn’t work on the sweater, I am prepared to turn it into a folded hem.
For size, I normally wear a 2X, but going by others’ notes that say to choose the size that is closest to your elbow-to-elbow and elbow circumference measurements, I am knitting a size Large. I’d have gone up a little more to XL, but there’s a big jump between the two sizes.
12-13-2025
Used a cable cast on (Roxanne Richardson’s refined method) -- 240 stitches on a 50” Chiaogoo Red Twist cable. I am not yet working in the round for fear of twisting it. I plan to knit the bottom inch or two flat and then join in the round.
Only got one row knitted before it got dark. Will do a purl row and then the anti-curl row next.
12-14-2025
Did a purl row today during a quiet patch in a visit to family, but it got dark before I could begin the anti-curl row.
The yarn is fun/interesting. My sister threw the skein back to me after admiring it, and the loose yarn fluttered and floated like spiderwebs. Soft as silk and seemingly weightless.
12-15-2025
I did the anti-curl row today. You slip one knitwise then grab the top of the stitch two below, knit that through the back loop, then slide that first slipped stitch over the top. (Then, in my case, repeat 240 times.)
I used the instructions in the Instagram link up above as well as those from Norman at Nimble Needles. My contribution is a suggestion to skip tilting your work over endlessly to find the purl bump of the lower stitch. Instead, just have some strong backlighting while you work, and you can find the proper stitches in silhouette a lot easier (especially with fluffy yarns like mine).
12-16-2025
Knit 8 or 9 rows/rounds, including joining it in the round. Will try to take a picture tomorrow in the light.
12-17-2025
Just joined a second skein. The first got me a good sized swatch and about 3 inches of sweater.
12-19-2025
A little more than five inches now. Bottom is curling up a tad, but it stays down when I brush it back down (until it gets a few inches from the cables again).
Wish my cable was a little shorter to make it easier to move stitches around, but there’s nothing between 50” (using) to 37” (seems too short). Edit: the stitches are scrunched up a bit, definitely longer than the cord/needles, but they don’t move easily and often get stretched out on a curve.
12-21-2025
Just shy of 7 inches long now, and only a little left of skein number two.
12-22-2025
About 8 inches long/tall now. Added a third skein. Got a little over 5 inches from the second skein.
12-27-2025
9.5 inches - would be more, but a pipe burst in our attic on Christmas, and we’re dealing with the aftermath.
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