Tweed is the New Black
Don't you just love Sweater Weather? This time of year makes me just want to knit all the sweaters, all the cardigans.
Tweed is the New Black is the ultimate comfort garment, a relaxed, understated sweater celebrating the simple things: tweed and garter stitch. The sweater pattern is designed with a little more positive ease than what I normally prefer... but that is just perfect for the season.
Tweed is the New Black is a top-down raglan-sleeved sweater. Garter stitch is worked at the raglan seams — emphasize what you can't hide, right? These garter-stitch lines then continue down the body as wide garter-stitch panels placed at the sides. The body and sleeves are also framed with deep bands in garter stitch.
The pattern comes in two styles, women's and unisex, so you can tailor the sweater to best go with your mood and taste. If you want a more fitted look, go with the women's version with waist shaping. For a more oversized style — or if you're making the sweater for a man in your life — pick the unisex version with a straight body and slightly longer sleeves. Two of my test knitters made sweaters both they and their husbands can wear! This pattern truly is the ultimate boyfriend sweater.
A well-tailored, rounded neckline gives that classic crew-neck look to the sweater. Most top-down raglan sweaters are done with no shaping on the neck which is why they often come too high on the front or — if the sweater fits well in the front — too low in the back.
This neckline design is like cherry-picking the best features of two design approaches: top down but it mimics the nice, rounded necklines you see on traditional bottom-up sweaters. And I got so much positive feedback from my test knitters about the neckline! Many of them felt it was the best-fitting neckline they'd ever done on a top-down sweater.
Carefully thought-out details can really lift a project, and I'm all about these little details. I love the look of garter stitch, and the deep bands on the sleeves and hem of this sweater are so comfortable and cozy. But — annoyingly! — garter stitch is one of those stitch patterns that's easier to work in flat than in the round.
For the sleeve cuffs, bottom band, and neckband the pattern uses a technique called jogless garter stitch in the round. This is a really simple technique that hides the nasty seam (or "jog") you get when switching from a knit round to a purl one when you're working garter stitch in the round. Stay tuned for a tutorial next week!
The pattern for Tweed is the New Black is now up on Ravelry. And there's still time to join the Fall Sweater KAL! Knit any of my sweater or cardigan patterns by November 30 for a chance to win a free sweater pattern from me and a sweater-sized project bag from Chameli Designs.
Share your photos on Instagram with the hashtags #talviknits and #tweedisthenewblack so I can ooh and aah over them!
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