Point Lobos

Oh, how I love a good raglan – both wearing them, and knitting them. Raglans were designed to allow an athletic freedom of movement through the shoulder area while having a more body-conscious fit, and I find them both comfortable and relaxed. They beg to be used in cozy, comfy designs.

I create a collection for each make. wear. love. retreat, and Point Lobos is one of the three 2017 west coast sweaters. This year, I wanted to make a group of sweaters that matched Asilomar, where the retreat is held, in spirit. They needed to be both comfortable and casual enough for beachy strolls, while fitting the area’s casual elegance.

This design started with the yarn: I worked with Patti Odinak of Yarn Culture to choose yarn with just the right mix of comfort and sophisticated color. The Uncommon Thread’s Everyday Sport is perfect – it’s soft and strong, with rich, complex colors that don’t overwhelm stitch patterning. I strongly recommend it for this design. However, if you’re substituting yarns, you’ll need approximately 1205 (1285, 1460, 1580, 1690, 1890, 1975, 2060, 2155, 2365, 2485, 2730) yds / 1100 (1175, 1335, 1445, 1545, 1730, 1805, 1885, 1970, 2165, 2275, 2495) m.

I worked it up into a dressed-up version of your favorite sweatshirt. Point Lobos features slight A-line shaping, which skims the body without being too roomy. It has a gently-scooped, wider neckline, which makes the raglan lines a little less angled. And it features a lace-and-cable pattern on the body but not the sleeves, which offers interest without being too overwhelming. The hem’s ribbing flows naturally into the patterned stitch, and the sleeves and neck are trimmed in 2×1 ribbing to match.

Weather-wise, Point Lobos is definitely versatile: The 3/4-length sleeves pair with a sport-weight yarn and slightly open stitch pattern to make the sweater comfortable in a variety of seasons. (I’m considering making another, with long sleeves, for the cold winter days in my studio!)

Point Lobos is a raglan construction, but is worked in pieces from the bottom up and seamed. Working the raglan in this way provides stability, which is needed given the long sweater length and cables; makes modifications easier, since you can adjust counts for each piece independently; and allows for the sleeves and body to be worked in different stitch patterns (with different gauges) more easily.

And while we’re speaking of stitch pattern, please swatch both the lace and cable pattern and Stockinette! The stitch gauges are different and you’ll want to make sure you’re matching both. (Row gauge should be consistent across the two patterns.)

I hope you enjoy Point Lobos as much as I do! You can purchase a copy for yourself either by clicking here, or through my Ravelry store. Happy knitting!

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