Grass around the Lake

Also known as Candy Stripe Jacket, from Spud & Chloe.

I really like this sweater --

Knitty Gritty details:

• Spud & Chloe Candy Stripe Jacket - Pattern no. 9503
• knit in Spud & Chloe Sweater yarn, 55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton.  I used 5 skeins "Lake" (though the pattern, even for the next smaller size, called for 6 skeins), and one skein "Grass".
• size 7 needles (the size called for in the pattern, which, for me, is weird).  I liked bamboo needles with this yarn.
• Yarn purchased at Dancing Ewe Yarns & Tea in Ellensburg.
• Buttons from Blackwater Abbey, originally purchased for my red sweater.  Their buttons are under accessories.
• Ravelry link
• Size M

 Here are the buttons.  I'm not sure they're the perfect ones, but I like 'em.  Sort of a "Lothlorien" edge to them. 

Here's the back -- you can see that perhaps this isn't either the right size or style for my shoulders, AND as other knitters have said about this pattern, the collar wants to roll.  I think it's to do with the i-cord edging, but also could have to do with the collar shaping.  I think the sizes on the collar for this jacket don't scale quite right, but I could be wrong.  Mine actually went on pretty well.  And, I've decided the whimsical collar and slightly rolling front edge are design features.  But, if I had this to make again, I'd substitute seed stitch for the slipped stitch pattern.  It would make a firmer fabric, which I'd prefer, especially for the front button bands.

I finished this sweater with one of my new labels.  They were featured in the last Vogue Knitting, and I got 'em from Angie at Remember Wynn, via Etsy.   I would heartily recommend these labels and this business - I can't believe how quickly Angie replied to my queries, and then sent my labels.  They're much softer than the woven ribbon ones I had been using, and the four holes are just perfect for sewing into a sweater.

I wore this sweater quite a bit this last weekend and week.  On Monday, my husband made a special point to tell me how much he liked this sweater -- explaining that he could find me so easily in a crowd (we were touring colleges with our daughter).  Not quite the same as telling me how lovely I looked, but he did point out one positive aspect of hand-knits -- they ARE unique.

The Spud & Chloe yarn is a superwash/cotton blend.  My gauge may have been a tad looser than I'd intended, but not by much - I think there was some relaxing of gauge with the first washing.  With all the recent wearing, I did have some pilling, and a bit of shedding of fiber when I washed the sweater.   Also, the ends of this sweater wanted to come unwoven more than most yarns I've used.  Still, all in all, I'd use this yarn again.  It makes a nice fabric, and the colors are really great.  This Lake blue is a great shade with dark indigo jeans, and a blue I like very much.  I'm happy with the green as an accent color.