Well written easy to knit pattern. I love how I look and feel in my new sweater. I’m so grateful that Laura Chau provided a pattern template that even I could understand and follow without excessive re-reading or a total re-write to compensate for my dyslexic brain.

Yarn used is a two ply worsted weight wool handspun (by moi). Used about 1600 yds of MC. I purchased 3 pounds of cleaned and carded Jacob wool from Equinox Farm in Kentucky - about 12 oz more than I needed. This is beautifully prepared lofty mill carded roving in the palest silver gray, unusually soft. Sheep’s name is Casper Belly. I enjoyed every minute of spinning and knitting this wool. Yarn came out at 9 wpi and I did the happy dance when I realized I finally made a worsted weight yarn that could be knit on a size 7 needle (I have a storage bin full of lovely lace weight handspun). Yarn for the color work was bit of handpainted BFL combed top in my favorite color range of mossy greens aka pond scum green. I think it looks like little crocus leaves pushing up through the snow.

I would recommend this pattern as both easy and beautiful. The color work is simple and lovely - packs a lot of effect for minimal effort. I’m thinking I need to knit at least three of these to avoid wearing out the one I just made.

The pattern is incredibly well thought out and logical (except for the m1L and m1R in the neckband which I could not visualize the need for so ignored). Would recommend for a first sweater or for someone who has a lot of yarn and needs to overcome sweater aversion. I had the tiniest bit of puzzlement over right and left. Hmm, is it the designer’s right looking at the sweater from the front or MY right wearing the sweater (it was Her right). Common sense prevailed and I figured it out from the way the decreases were ordered. The sweater fits perfectly knit to gauge on a #7 circular. I think I used a 5 for the cuffs and a 6 for the bottom ribbing and the neck and button bands.

Mods: Picked up 3 stitches for every 4 rows up the fronts and picked up as written for the neck. I made the bands 3-4 rows deeper to accommodate larger buttons and I bound off so that I had purl bumps showing along the right side edge of the bands because it sort matched the purl bump trim between the ribbing and stockinette on the body of the sweater.

Did tulip bottonholes which were easier to space with the extra stitches picked up for the front bands.

All in all I frogged way less than usual on this project because the pattern was so well written. I finished in record time for me. The little butterfly stitch was fun to do and worth the price of the pattern as I will use it again. Have found it nowhere in my 20+ stitch pattern books.