Project Details:
Pattern: Sunrise Circle Jacket by Kate Gilbert, available as a free download from Interweave Knits
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Sierra Aran in color 783. This yarn is really pretty - it has a heathered look to it that I love. But, it is a little scratchy due to mohair content, and I worry that it may pill. But I figured since this ismore of a jacket that will always be worn over another shirt, it will be okay.
Needle Size: Size 5 Denise needles (this is quite a bit smaller than the needle called for in the pattern, but everything I've read said that row gauge was essential for this pattern, so I just kept going down until I got the right row gauge. Plus, I knit pretty loose so it didn't feel like I was fighting with the yarn to knit it on smaller needles.)
Pattern Modifications: I added stitches to the width of the back panel of the sweater as suggested by the designer on the Sunrise Cirlce KAL blog, in this post. (The KAL is closed, but the site is still up and it has tons of great information.) Essentially I knit the back using the stitch count for one size larger, but the row count for the size I was knitting. It worked pretty well, although the fronts still don't overlap as much as they do in the pattern picture. I think I should have knit one size larger, and still done the wider back section. I think I read somewhere that the model in the picture was a lot smaller than the model they originally planned to use, so the fronts overlap a lot more on her than the pattern was designed to do.
Time to knit: Actual knitting time was not that long, but I started this sweater in May 2007, and didn't finish it until December 2007. Oh well, hooray for finishing a hibernating project!
Final impressions: This sweater (originally intended for me) ended up being a Christmas gift for my mom. (Doesn't it look cute on her?) At some point I posted a progress pic of it, and she commented how much she liked it. She loves it and she says she's found the perfect outfit to wear it with. Everyone at my grandma's house was pretty impressed when she opened it, too. There are darts on the back to provide a little waist shaping, and I found it interesting that all the non-knitters were most impressed by those darts!
Ravelry links:
Sunrise Circle Jacket pattern
your sunrise circle jacket came out wonderfully! It looks beautiful on your mom.
And dare I say you two look an awful lot alike? wow! I thought it was you when I first glanced at the photos!
do you have any idea of how to get this pattern? i lost my copy and its not on interweave anymore. sad day. :( drop me am email if you do have anyidea, i would sososo appreciated it! thanks!
niko