Pattern: Veronika by Julie Weisenberger.
Yarn: Habu Textiles N-80 Wrapped Merino 4p in colourway 6 (blue). Oooh, pretty name!
Ravelry project page here.
To say that I am thrilled with this project would be an understatement. I am over the moon excited about this sweater! It's kind of awesome how often I find myself summing up a recently finished FO with similarly enthusiastic praise. I feel very lucky to be so easily thrilled and genuinely excited about making things. I think that's really what it all boils down to, I just get such a high out of making things. Isn't being a knitter the best?
So, specifically this sweater, sigh, just look at it! I'm huge and yet I've got a sweater that easily drapes over my giant belly, making me feel almost elegant! That's really something. Don't get me wrong, I love being pregnant and love my big belly. I think pregnancy and pregnant woman are beautiful goddess etc. But I don't love constantly tugging at my clothing and pulling my shirts down to meet my pants and always feeling kinda disheveled because "graceful pregnant lady" is a tough look to master. But this sweater helps. I honestly had no idea how it was going to work on my currently almost 8 months along frame. I didn't make it exclusively to wear as a maternity top, I hope to continue to get lots of wear out of it when I'm nursing and then later when I'm just me again, so the fact that I feel comfortable in it super pregnant is just a huge bonus.
I was initially a little concerned about this "swancho" (sweater poncho) shape since it's not something that I've ever worn before. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to raise my arms, to which Julie very wisely replied "how often do you really do the YMCA dance in a day Tan?" Check mate Julie. Very good point. The raising-of-the-arms-above-my-head-issue is really a non-issue. I've tried to feature a few shots of my arms sort of raised to show the shape of the sweater but also to highlight how beautifully light and airy the fabric is. See how the light shines right through in the photo above? I love that. Makes me feel like a fairy.
The Habu Textiles yarn is super cool and I'm looking forward to working with more non-super-wooly fibers in the future. Though this yarn is mainly merino, the fact that it's wrapped in a strand of silk lends a totally different hand to the yarn. It adds a crispness to it. I've been very loyal to my own line of wool yarns, and I do love them dearly, but branching out and trying something different is always really fun too. Recently it was with BT Shelter, wooly, but so different from TFA's offerings. This yarn feels very crisp compared to what I'm used to, it makes me want to knit something in hemp or linen next. And something summery. I've got my eye on this, I think it would be amazing for nursing!
I feel like I've been unknowingly stuck in a knitting rut my entire life, only knitting warm winter woolies (I do live in Montreal though, it's currently still winter here, warm woolies give me a lot of bang for my buck!) While this sweater isn't exactly resort wear, it is a departure for me both in terms of style and material, and that's a real thrill.
Any recommendations for non-wooly yarns or arm-weather patterns for me? I'm all about branching out now!