The designer, Jared Flood, directs you to swatch in the four cable patterns. My first attempt with steel size 7 needles in the purl honeycomb was an inch and a half off too big. I was SURE I simply wouldn’t be able to make this pattern because I certainly wasn’t going down to a size five with worsted weight yarn—it would feel like a rug.

Then I remembered that using bamboo needles would change my gauge, so I knit the purl honeycomb again in a size 6 needle. That swatch was very close, still a bit big, but the fabric felt stiff. I knit a third purl honeycomb swatch with a size seven bamboo, and it was, of course, a bit bigger still, but felt drapier and the gauge was in the ballpark. However, the moss stitch swatch had too many stitches for four inches.

What to do? I decided to get started knitting and chose a size. If I get half the back done, then measure it on Sam, and I have to rip it out, so what. I’d rather do that than keep knitting swatches.

I cast on using the recommended Rib Cabled Cast On, and it looks really great! Never heard of it, but it’s as nice as a tubular cast on.

Mods: I did not do the shaping at waist with different size needles, did regular rib instead of twisted, and picked up the number of stitches around neckline for smallest size instead of what I made (third) and knitted length for fold over.

2-5-2023
Sam has the sweater, tried it on and took it home. It’s a little wide, which I expected, but looks good. People aren’t wearing sweaters that hug the hips and blouse over anymore. Most importantly, he likes it.