Last year I started a series that I call Make with Me. The name is a bit misleading because I don’t really allow for us to make the same project concurrently, instead, I share projects in their finished state. Most of these projects use other designers’ patterns, so I can’t even share a pattern or tutorial. Instead, I give you the project details, helpful hints, and links to the patterns and materials.
My new favorite sweater is this way…
Engineered Seams
This sweater pattern is called Engineered Seams and it’s by Judith Brien. I loved the design of this sweater from the moment I saw it. On the one hand, it’s a basic raglan sweater. On the other hand, there’s so much texture and intrigue due to the short rows that create folds at an angle down one side of the garment.
In my opinion, this is not a pattern for the beginning sweater knitter. I found the pattern to be fairly dense in its descriptions, and often you are asked to keep track of multiple details at once (such as spacing out short rows while working a diagonal fake seam while switching back and forth between which short row pattern you’re using). There’s a lot going on, and while no one task is very technically advanced, putting the combination together can be a bit overwhelming. If you’ve knit a top-down sweater or two, then I think that will form a good foundation for tackling this project.
The other challenge that this sweater poses is that you’re knitting with fingering weight yarn. I loved the finished fabric that comes from thin yarn and smaller needles, but it does take a bit more time than working with worsted or bulky yarn.
With all of those warnings out of the way, let’s get back to how much I love the finished garment. It’s a super cozy sweater that’s easy to wear. You can slip it on and not have to fuss with it one bit.
I think it’s a super flattering fit on my body, and from the photos I’ve seen of other finished samples, it seems equally flattering on a variety of body types. In the end, it’s so worth your time, thousands of stitches, and the eye strain from reading and re-reading the pattern notes. 😉
Previous posts in this series included: