Cobblestone Pullover- My Christmas Eve Cast Off

Literally.  I knew I would end up doing this.  I just knew, deep down, that no matter how much I budgeted my time and planned my holiday knitting, this would be a last-minute finish.  And it was.

But, friends, my son-in-law’s Cobblestone Pullover is completed.  I enjoyed knitting it, or at least knowing who it was for.  I’d be lying if I said all of that stockinette and garter in-the-round was thrilling, because it wasn’t, and striped Christmas socks were calling to me from a bag next to the couch the whole time.  I can say that it was satisfying to finish it and to make it for someone so knit-worthy!  Also, did I mention it was supposed to be one of his Christmas gifts last year?

Details:  I used Wool of The Andes Tweed in Reindeer Heather and US size 5 needles.  I think I used 12 balls of this yarn, including the bit of sleeves I had to cut off to re-knit in the correct length.
 I don’t mean to complain about the WotA yarn.  I love this stuff, it was just a lot of brown stockinette- a color and stitch type I like to wear, but just get tired of knitting.

This pattern is from a decade-old 2007 Interweave magazine I have from my early knitting days when I bought every knitting magazine I was lucky enough to find at the bookstore. (I flipped through it on Vlogmas Day 20 to show that early 2000’s style.)  Anyway, it is a Jared Flood pattern; my first, actually.  I have admired his designs, and those he curates, in his Brooklyn Tweed collections, but never made one.  So, that was a pleasant first.

This sweater was very simple construction, with sleeves joining the body, knit bottom-up, to finish the yoke.  I was just insecure about the sizing.  I’ve seen some on Ravelry that I thought were too fitted and I didn’t think he would like that.  But as I knit it seemed like it would be too large.  I’m hoping I struck a good balance.  I had him try it on Christmas Day and it was clear that the sleeves were too long and maybe the body too.  I knew I could shorten the sleeves, but there was no way I’d get the bottom of the body re-knitted before they went home.  Also, I was kind of done with the sweater at that point.

Since the sleeves were a cast-on edge, I just cut the garter cuff off of each one and ripped back to the point the garter should begin.  I joined my abundant leftover yarn there and re-knit the sleeve cuffs.  I am so thankful I ordered extra yarn for this project!

I took an inch off of the sleeves and left the hem as is.  What do you guys think?  This is where I or my husband would want a sweater to hit us, so I’m hoping he enjoys the fit.  And I think he looks really cute in it 🙂

(all photos, except the ones with a doofy dog and yarn balls, by Julia Gros)

See more on Ravelry, Instagram, and Flickr

Another post on this knit is here.

I still have one more knit to re-do for someone.  The Ribbed Watchman’s Hat turned out floppy and huge, so that will take a couple of evenings of watching Dark with my husband to finish.

More on my New Year Plans to come, but for now Happy New Year, friends!!!!