Web-Letter, Issue 104 – Solstice Dias de Betty There are summery cottony yarns and wintery wooly yarns, and then there are yarns that fall somewhere between. Blending fibers that don’t seem to go together often results in a stunning yarn. CEY has several of these interesting hybrids: Solstice, a comfortable blend of organic cotton and soft merino featured in Stephanie Voyer's Dias de Betty pullover; Soft Linen, a cool mix of linen, alpaca, and wool; and Summer Set, a soft, plump combination of pima and alpaca. I love these unorthodox blends. They offer the soft hand and elasticity of winter fibers and the cool touch of plant fibers. All three of these yarns show off stitches—as evidenced by the crisp diagonal lines of Stephanie‘s Dias de Betty pullover. Creative Director
The Story: From Stephanie: Dias de Betty means Day of Betty. Why this name? I am a big fan of the Ugly Betty series and was inspired by a certain episode to create this sweater pattern. Three words describe Dias de Betty: eyelet, decrease and angle. A mix of these techniques result in a feminine pullover with ¾ sleeves. The empire waist and low, overlapped V-neck accentuate the bust line and lengthen the neck. For more designs by Stephanie Voyer visit her blog. The Yarn: Solstice 70% organic cotton, 30% merino wool Solstice, a yarn in our eco-friendly Verde Collection, is a blend of organically-grown cotton and soft merino wool. Combining these two fibers allows Solstice to make use of the best qualities of each. The cotton component keeps the stitches crisp and clear, provides structure, and allows the finished garment to breathe. Super soft merino wool adds warmth, drape, and helps the knitted piece to hold its shape.  The Stitches: When designing a garment that uses a stitch pattern with a large repeat, it is often necessary to adjust where to begin and end within that stitch pattern for each size. This allows for more control over the finished measurements for a better fit.  Where to begin and end each size is marked on the charts for Dias de Betty. Kristen explains here how to read her lovely charts. Also, you might want to look at our tutorial on how to avoid stair-stepped shoulder bind offs.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable Solstice Dias de Betty pattern. If you have difficulty downloading or printing the PDF pattern above, try these: page 1, page 2, page 3
On Ravelry? Find this design. If you do not yet have access to Ravelry, add your e-mail to their list, and check back once you've received your invitation.
If you like the design above, you'll like this too:
	Solstice Long V-Neck Pullover Pattern available in 9096 Johns Bay Ravel it.
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