The day after I finished my Saroyan scarf I decided to buckle down and finish my handspun yoke sweater. I had knit on it feverishly in the beginning, racing through the yoke, the body and most of one sleeve in just a couple of days. But then I started to doubt myself, I had a feeling that the sleeve decreases were happening too fast and that I was going to have to take it back and redo the bottom of the sleeve. It would have been an easy fix, and one of the benefits of knitting top down is that you can try your sweater on as you go. But that would have involved me getting up, taking off one sweater, putting on the sweater in progress, marching up the stairs to assess the situation in a full length mirror and making a decision. Instead I opted to put the sweater aside and reach for a another project. When the scarf was done I realized that I couldn't put it off any longer, I tried on the sweater, and it fit perfectly! I didn't need to alter the sleeve, I was right on track. So I buckled down and knit the second sleeve that night. Thank God I did, because this sweater rocks.
The sweater was knit from the top down, using EZ's percentage system. It's the exact same way I made my Dipped Infinity Sweater, only I reversed it since that one was knit bottom up. I don't have a preference really, it's nice to be able to try on the work as you go, which the top down method makes possible. The reason I chose to knit this sweater top down is because I wanted to be able to use up every last inch of handspun. Which I did! I did the collar in my Green Label Aran weight yarn in a one of a kind rather dark version of my Stormy colourway, and then I just started knitting with the handspun and didn't stop until I was all out. It worked perfectly!
Instead of the standard ribbing at the cuffs and hem I made the same alterations I used on my Dipped Infinity sweater and knit a folded under hem in a bright contrasting colour, a detail that I absolutely LOVE! It's so nice and neat, it lays perfectly flat and makes for a very modern fit, and looks so crisp and beautiful on the inside, all nicely sewn in. On the cuffs I worked 1 row of purl, then 1 row of knit and then bound off. It's enough to keep the hem from curling and adds just a little bit of texture.
