The first of the Autumn knits

My last post was titled the "The last of the Summer knits" but in the intervening 3 weeks it really has turned autumnal here in the UK. The leaves have turned and running along the river yesterday morning was a real joy. Wonderful earthy colours literally everywhere.

So it is time to move onto some warmer knits. The sweater I want to share with you today is knitted from a mixed yarn from the Pluck Knitter called "Lodge Fingering" It is spun from 60% Merino, 20% Cotton, 10% Silk and 10% Flax. Doesn't that sound great ? This will give warmth through the Merino portion, coolness via the cotton, a little bit of a shine with the silk and structure from the flax.

When I started knitting my mother thought it was not soft enough but by the time it was finished, she was quite smitten with the yarn and its softness and also with the pattern. I used a simple raglan pattern from the people of Purl Soho called "Lightweight Raglan Pullover" which by the way is a FREE pattern.

This pattern has several interesting features; a curved bottom made from short rows and rolled cuffs and neck which gives it a really professional yet relaxed finished. 

I have warn this gorgeous sweater several times already and could not be happier with the fit, its shape (which it keeps very well) and its feel.

The only design item I did not like was that it was difficult to try on as arms and body are knit separately before being combined from the underarm section upwards. This makes frequent checks on the fit quite difficult. And I can't quite help thinking that the same good fit could have been achieved with a topdown version of it. The yarn was a little thicker than the suggested from the pattern which made it important for me to check the correct sizing often (I knitted the smallest size).