Opulent Raglan

Pattern: Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: YarnArt Pure Merino 100% wool, 290 g
Needle: 3.5 mm
Time to knit: two weeks

Modifications:
1. Ribbing 1x1 at the hem for 10 rows
2. Made the sleeves long and "romantic".
3. Added 2 sts to each sleeve at the top of the raglan by casting on 4 sts for each sleeve instead of 2.
4. Raised the neckline a few rows by adding the central pattern before the separation of the sleeves.

The pattern is easy to follow, well written, lots of stockinette stitch with a beautiful cabled front to keep things interesting. The hem is supposed to be double folded, but most people on Ravelry wrote that they had issues with that and replaced it with a rib. The sleeves tend to be too narrow, that's why I added a few stitches, knowing my usual sleeve width. I did the sleeves in the round - a slow process, but lately I kind of prefer seamless sleeves.

A few notes on the yarn: a bit splitty, low elasticity, so not the best yarn for cables. The texture felt itchy before wet blocking, but after I let it soak in lukewarm water and softener the sweater feels pleasant to the skin. However the stitches relaxed more than expected and the sleeves are now an inch longer than planned - I don't mind, I did mean them to have that vintage romantic look.

New Year, New Process, New Yarn

Just around Christmas I started a new sweater, which would have been knitted by now, if I hadn't decided to change the sleeves from 3/4 to full length and then some. I had a nagging feeling of déjà vu, when it struck me that I had exactly the same experience with my red sweater last New Year - obviously I fall for winter sweaters with 3/4 sleeves, which I don't like on me - some inconsistency with the full length of the body, the wooly texture, you get it, so I have to unravel some part of the sleeves (here the elaborate cuffs) and redo the sleeves to full length.

I'm almost done, so I guess after wet blocking I'll be able to have a photo session of my new green sweater later this week.

And here's a peek at my new yarn - wool-silk tweed in my most favourite copper color. It's going to be a cardigan, that's for sure, but which design? I really like Glenna C.'s Jurisfiction or maybe Cirilia Rose's Aidez, but with some button bands? I like the yarn so much that I feel a kind of fear not to get it wrong. Silly, I know :)