I love the color of this yarn - various hues of purple that look different depending on the light. It’s Cascade 220 heather, and I used 5 skeins. There was just a tiny bit of yarn left over. It’s a purple mix, I can’t tell you the color number because I wound up the yarn in the store when I purchased it, then misplaced the labels.

Gauge really is important - always. I found that to get the recommended gauge I had to use size 5 needles instead of the suggested size 8 needles.

Is this the best yarn for this project? Probably not. It’s a plump, round yarn and makes for a chunkier pullover than the yarn recommended in the pattern.

Tip: Color coding a cable chart

I take colored highlighters, highlight a certain cable type in the chart and the corresponding description in the key in the same color. Easier on middle-aged eyes.

Cables

In this project I learned how to knit cables without a cable needle. Yes, it’s scary at first because it involves pushing stitches off one needle, and picking them up with another. It is so worth the trouble to learn how to do this. It saves so much time and makes knitting cables a fun diversion instead of a time-consuming one.

Neckline

This pattern calls for a rather unfinished neckline. Sure, it looks great on the model, but she would look good in a burlap sack. These rough edges of the neckline remind me of when I was a computer programmer and programs did not work the way we intended. Instead of calling it a bug, we called it a design feature, as a joke. I feel like I would have to explain this sweater similarly -- “Oh - the neckline - that’s a design feature.” I’m not criticizing the pattern - it’s a great pattern. I’m just saying that I’m not going to be comfortable wearing that neckline. It’s hip, it looks great on the model, but I don’t think it fits me.

So, I frogged down the front neckline a bit and made it a rounded neckline, which I finished later in the usual way.

If I knit this again …

I would love to knit this again, it’s a fun pattern to knit. Next time, I would think about converting it to knit in the round - either top down or bottom up. The less finishing the better. Next time, I think I’d make it a V-neck.

Sleeves

This was the first set-in sleeve I’ve ever done and it went ok. It really made me think how much easier it might have been if I had knit this from the top down. Confession: you are supposed to block, baste, then seam. I did not block and baste first, just went in commando style and seamed it.

What I learned in knitting this garment:

-- how to cable without a needle (thank you www.grumperina.com/cables.htm)
-- that I have really short arms. (I made the sleeves 3” shorter and they are just right)