FO: Climbing Vines Pullover

Pattern:  Climbing Vines Pullover 

Source: Interweave Knits Winter 2008

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Rojo Vivo

On Ravelry: Climbing Roses

This was love at first sight.  The pattern is very similar to one from Phildar, which has a reverse stockinette base instead of stockinette.   IK made theirs in a tweed yarn, with a lot of ease.  It was cute but kind of slouchy and frumpy.  So, I made changes:

yarn - yummy, tone-on-tone Malabrigo

neckline - lowered by 2" and the ribbing is now the same width as at the body hem (1.75")

ease - 0" ease.  I should have had more negative ease, but my swatch lied.  (All my swatches lie.  I just make them now so I know what won't happen in my knitting!  Rat Bastards!)

vine pattern - I moved my from left to right of the front (accidentally).

vine pattern 2 - I repeated the lovely leaves on the left sleeve and it's just gorgeous.  

It's the first time I've knit clothing with Malabrigo and it really is dreamy stuff.  It felt so good, I didn't want to put it down, even during the stockinette stitch.  All in all, it took 4.25 balls, so it's a very economical sweater too.

I knew that Malabrigo grows with blocking.  Oh, but how it grew.  It went from size 41" bust to 45" bust and grew about 5" in length.  It was ghastly.  I had two choices: cut it down to the right size and re-sew it (on a sewing machine) or shrink it in the dryer.  Given that slighly felted wool is easier to cut and sew, I tried the dryer first.  Five minutes in one minute increments and it's back to its original size.  It's not even felted.  The stitches and vine pattern are as distinct as before.  

I'm so happy with this.  I have a hard time finishing big projects and I'm chuffed with myself over this.  I just wish it would snow one more time so I can wear it.  It's just too hot right now for a wool sweater, even such a pretty one.