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The Story:
From Julia:
I first encountered Classic Elite’s Summer Set yarn while swatching designs for submission last spring. At the time I was five months pregnant with my son, Griffin. I loved the yarn — a unique blend of cotton and alpaca — so I made Griffin a little hat with the remainder of the skein for his homecoming from the hospital. Needless to say, when Pam asked if I might be interested in designing a sweater for Griffin in Summer Set, I jumped at the chance to work with it again.
I love the look of pullovers, but like most babies, Griffin hates to have anything tugged on over his head. To solve this problem I designed this pullover with shoulders that overlap, creating a neckline that runs the width of both shoulders but closes in like an envelope once the sweater is on. I love the way Griffin looks in it and he doesn’t mind getting bundled up, because there is plenty of room for him slip in and out of his pullover easily.
I also wanted Griffin’s sweater to have a lot of textural interest because little babies love exploring the feel of different surfaces. The Seeded Rib pattern does the trick with its hills and valleys that are perfect for inquiring little hands. (And mouths — Griffin sucks on the sleeves of his pullover non-stop!) I hope the little ones you knit for will enjoy it too!
For more about Julia Trice, visit her blog http://mindofwinter.prettyposies.com/
The Yarns:
Summer Set — 64% cotton, 19% alpaca, 12% polyester, 5% lyocel
Cotton and alpaca may sound like a strange combination, but in fact they pair perfectly. The cotton content allows for a yarn that is absorbent and cool against the skin. Alpaca with its natural crimp and hollow core provides elasticity, warmth, and added luster. The blending of these two fibers makes a knitted fabric that feels smooth and soft, adds a little warmth, but still breathes like cotton.
In addition to cotton and alpaca, Summer Set contains a little lyocel, the generic name for Tencel. Lyocel is an environmentally friendly fiber made from wood pulp — it’s renewable and made through a non-polluting process. Lyocel adds strength and durability to the fiber blend.
Summer Set has a beautiful 23 color palette and knits up at a gauge of 5 stitches per inch.
The Stitches:
The Seeded Rib stitch pattern is from Barbara Walker’s first Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Summer Set and the Seeded Rib pattern interact in a way that alters the usual qualities of both. Interestingly, the Seeded Rib pattern creates wonderful texture, but does not pull in the way traditional ribbing does. In a wool yarn, this pretty stitch pattern has a tendency to grow, but worked in Summer Set, with its cotton content, the ribbing holds its shape nicely. The Seeded Rib pattern, in turn, lends a lofty quality to Summer Set, which has a natural tendency to drape.
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more photos
The Patterns:
Here is the free downloadable Griffin's Seeded Rib Pullover pattern.
Here's the free downloadable Griffin's Hat pattern from Julia's website.
If you have difficulty downloading or printing the PDF pullover pattern above, try these:
page 1, page 2
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