the Grandpa Sweater

Finally! I started this for myself in the summer, a slightly over sized belted sweater to throw on for fall. You know how it is though you get side tracked with other projects, but I did finish and have been happily wearing it nonstop since.

My sister Peggy lovingly calls this my "Grandpa Sweater" a bit big & a bit masculine yet with a nice femininity about it. 

The "Grandpa" is knit from the top down with set in sleeves. The body & sleeves are worked in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch for the collar, front facings & belt.

 The yarn I used (Cascade's Pastaza, a 50/50 blend of wool & llama) holds up well when worn a lot, with little pilling making it one of my favorites for outer wear. It's a heavier worsted that calls for a #9 though I used a #10.5

 

A lot of people have asked me why I slip my edge stitches. My patterns almost always call for slipping the first stitch of every row and the 2 photos above show why. I'm wearing the sweater inside out and if you look at where I picked up stitches from the slipped stitch edge (around the armhole & for the front facing) it's very clean; it gives it such a polished finish. Even if you don't pick up stitches your edges look good.

Here you can see the sewn hem & the underside of the collar. I like the challenge of getting a garment to look as good on the wrong side as it does on the right side.

I wasn't planning on writing a pattern for this. Peggy told me I should... I don't know maybe in time for fall? Add it to the ever growing list of things to do!