Hempathy v-neck
It seems as though I am always in search of a pattern for the perfect v-neck pullover.
Truth told, the most flattering top on me is a v-neck with set in sleeves; however, finding a simple construction that would lend itself to different types of yarns (i.e., silk, linen and hemp, as well as wool), has proven difficult.
Last summer, I cast on a top-down v-neck sweater in Elsebeth Lavold's Hempathy. While it had raglan sleeves, I had thought the top-down construction would give me greater control over modifications, including sleeve length and shaping below the bust, as well as overall length.
Initially, I had made great progress, but sometime in August, I put it down after I reached the point where the sleeves were separated and a vast abundance of stockinette in the round awaited me. There it sat, still on the needles, until I picked it up a couple of weeks ago.
Last night, while I watched the men's skiing and ladies' figure skating, I finished it.
Truth told, the most flattering top on me is a v-neck with set in sleeves; however, finding a simple construction that would lend itself to different types of yarns (i.e., silk, linen and hemp, as well as wool), has proven difficult.
Last summer, I cast on a top-down v-neck sweater in Elsebeth Lavold's Hempathy. While it had raglan sleeves, I had thought the top-down construction would give me greater control over modifications, including sleeve length and shaping below the bust, as well as overall length.
Initially, I had made great progress, but sometime in August, I put it down after I reached the point where the sleeves were separated and a vast abundance of stockinette in the round awaited me. There it sat, still on the needles, until I picked it up a couple of weeks ago.
Last night, while I watched the men's skiing and ladies' figure skating, I finished it.
First, the good news: The hempathy makes a lovely fabric that I anticipate enjoying in the hot-as-Hades summer we endure here in South Texas for six months.
Now, the not so good news: One thing that I continue to find in top down constructed sweaters is that the sleeves are far too large for the bust size I need. The calculations for the design were probably based (looking at the model) on a slight person significantly smaller than I am. In order to get the number of stitches to compensate for the bust size, the sleeves tend to grow and grow and grow. This is actually a math issue, which creates disproportionately wide sleeves. Again, this is not the first time I have encountered this. What I find is that sweater designers rarely knit a sample in each size they offer. They typically choose a middle of the road size or smaller, then extrapolate for larger sized women. I have found the same issues in the upper range of sizes for men's and women's patterns for pieced sweaters, too. This includes sweaters I have made for others, so the issue is not necessarily that I am malformed or misshapen.
In any event, this pullover is certainly serviceable, although, I shall not be able to use the pattern again, as it does not have the fit that I wanted due to the sleeves.
Pattern: #1303 Top Down V Neck Pullover by Diane Soucy
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in Hazy Blue.
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