On A Whim

I started this summer super stressed out by the number of sweater samples I needed to create for the book I’m finishing. Burned out on deadline work, I did what any reasonable knitter would do: Procrastinated. Meaning that I dug out some spectacularly beautiful non-book yarn and banged out a couple of completely different sweater samples, just to clear my mind.

On a Whim was the ultimate guilty pleasure project for me. The yarn was luscious, the design was simple, and the resulting sweater filled a hole in my wardrobe. I made it to please myself – and then went back to my “regular work” refreshed and patient.

Since On A Whim is built into CustomFit, it’s worked in pieces from the bottom up with set-in sleeves. I created the design with a slightly (but not excessively) wide scoop neck and an A-line shape. It’s worked in Stockinette stitch with simple 2×2 ribbed trims, making it an incredibly flexible design.

I created two samples before I was done – first, an elbow-sleeve, tunic-length version for my god-daughter:

Morgan chose the luscious Indigodragonfly MCS Sock yarn, in the color “Only the exact phrase I used was don’t (Inara)”. The fingering weight fabric, out of wool blended with a generous amount of silk, results in an incredibly floaty garment that is perfect for warmer seasons. For a standard women’s size 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62)” elbow-sleeve sweater in my gauge of 7 stitches per inch, you’ll need approximately 3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8) hanks of MCS.

Jealous of Morgan’s amazing new shirt, I decided to whip one up for myself, too:

I used some special yarn that had been with me for awhile: Indigodragonfly’s Mergoat Worsted, in “The Brain in Maine Feigns Trading Pain for Skeins”. I bought it at the very first make. wear. love. retreat, and have been waiting for the right design idea for ages. I’m so pleased to finally be wearing it…

…or I will be, once the weather turns! This worsted-weight version is snuggly, substantial, and perfect for cold days. For a standard women’s size 30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62)” 3/4-sleeve sweater in my gauge of 5 stitches per inch, you’ll need approximately 5 (6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) hanks of Mergoat Worsted.