Pattern: Gathered Pullover, Interweave Knits, Winter 07/08

Size: XS (32.5″)

Yarn: Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport in Deep Sea, 4 – 5 skeins

Notes: It was finished for Christmas!  Here you see me on Christmas morning, after many a Christmas Eve mass and on my way to the final Christmas mass.    My only modification was to knit the body 1/2″ longer than called for in the pattern.  I am pretty short waisted, so if you are long waisted I would consider adding even more length.  I find that the rolling hems are not bothersome at all, especially on the sleeves.  I did wet block everything, and that really stopped the incredible curling.  The yarn was nice, but not terribly soft, and I’m not sure it will wear really well.  It did soften up after I washed it with lots of conditioner.  I found the arms to be very small for the armholes, but I made it work… be prepared for lots of pinning in place!  This was my first time sewing arms in that were already knit in the round, and I really did not like it at all.  I definitely prefer sewing in my sleeves flat!  In spite of that, the seams really look pretty nice.  I picked up less stitches for the neckline than called for (I used the 3/4 rule for the sides, and 1 for every stitch in the back) but it seems to have worked out just fine.  The color here isn’t totally accurate.  The actual color may be a tad more green, but it looks close on my monitor.  I love the color.

I found the pattern to be error free, if a bit tedious because of all the stockinette.  Be aware that the sleeves on the XS size are pretty small.  This is 1″ of negative ease on me, and it fits exactly the way I would like it to.  If you’re interested in this pattern I do recommend it – make sure to go with a sport weight yarn, in spite of the gauge, because the loose gauge really makes the top nice and drapey, and lightweight yet warm.

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday.  I am finally free of the stress of the Christmas season, and finally get to enjoy a little bit of time off.