Ravello
This has been a long time coming. Ravello, gifted to me by Isabell Kraemer (Thank you, Isabell!), is the perfect lightweight, weekend sweater. Let me prove it: it has stripes, is lightweight, isn’t shaped in the waist, has easily modified raglan sleeves, and is tweed. What else do you want?
The only reason it took me so long to knit was that I left off to do some Big Bang Theory themed knits. Then I ran out of firecracker yarn and waited to order more until I had an excuse to make a free shipping-sized order. It was just about trying to be practical. I couldn’t order one skein of sock yarn and pay shipping. I couldn’t.
This design was a good opportunity to play with color. I tried a combination of colors I’ve never used before here and love the way they work together. It’s Knit Picks Stroll Tweed in thirst, Prussian, and firecracker. The orange against blue is pretty cool. It’s also really soft next to my skin.
Another thing I really like about this one is the raw neckline. It makes me think of Saturday mornings.
My modifications were to decrease 12 sts evenly before the bottom ribbing to keep it from being loose and floppy. Since the whole thing was worked with a size 0 or 1 needle, I couldn’t really move down a size to make the ribbing tighter.
I also did more stripes down the arms than suggested in the pattern and made a couple of stripes at the hem. Those added stripes were because I was running short of firecracker and Prussian. I ran short anyway, as I mentioned earlier, but I like the additional sleeve stripes.
I’m still not sure if I like the stripes at the bottom. They make me think of terry cloth v-neck tshirts I wore in the 90s that were sort of sports inspired. But, then again, it makes me think of shirts I wore in the 90s, so I will probably go with it. Thanks again, Isabell! I truly love this pattern. I’m already thinking of alternative colors to use for one for my daughter.
Other posts on Ravello: beginning, sleeeeves!, and two at a time sleeves.
Totally love the stripes at the bottom.
How funny, this is exactly what I said in my lastest FO blog post about the striped rib in the pattern Sally! If you scroll quickly down, you'll see the 90s sweater in question. 😉 http://www.dayanaknits.com/2014/01/CheapYarnCanWorkDollaramySally.html
Yes, Dayana! I read your blog post the other day and laughed because I had opted to put stripes in my ribbing rather than order more yarn 🙂 it's growing on me. As I looked for a 90s shirt image to link to I got all nostalgic for my teens and twenties and decided I'm going to leave it as is.
Thanks, Meagan! It's an interesting detail born out of necessity 🙂
This is great! I love the color combination, and I really like the look of the stripes in the ribbing, even if you only did it out of necessity 🙂 I just bought enough of this yarn in Firecracker for my tights, so thanks for the inspiration!
This IS the perfect weekend sweater! I would never have dared try those color combos so I love seeing how yours turned out ~ two thumbs up, Michelle.
I just love this, it's absolutely perfect. I really like the mods you made, including the striped bottom band. I think I had one of those terry tops the first time around and this doesn't remind me of them at all!
Oh awesome! I cannot wait to see your tights, Jennifer. I don't know if I could pull off all of that ribbing, but the end result will be so very cool, especially in that tweedy color.
Thanks, Evelyn! I think the price of Stroll Tweed gave me courage. If I didn't like the way they looked, I could always make individual pairs of socks or get a different contrast color. But now that I've done it, I keep thinking of other combos I'd like to try….
Thank you, Jillian! You guys are giving me confidence that that striped ribbing looks A- okay. I actually like those sporty terry tops and baseball shirts from yesteryear. It's very cyclical: I wore them as a small child, then a young adult, and now I'm 40 and have another baseball tee sweater in mind to knit this year. I'm sentimental that way 🙂
I love the stripes at the bottom, and I adore this sweater – it looks so good on you! Glad to finally see the whole thing after so many teaser wip pics. 🙂
Aren't Isabell's designs beautiful? I love your Ravello! I'm crazy about all things striped, but your colors, your added stripes, the fit…everything is just perfect!
Thank you so much, Heather! I have to say, it was seeming like I'd never get this one finished. I don't like to let a WIP languish, either. So I'm trying to stick with one knit at a time for the Holla Knits KAL, though it was tempting to swatch up everything right at the beginning.
Thank you, Vanessa! You're right, Isabell is churning out the designs faster than I can knit them. I finish one then I immediately want 3 more 🙂