October Days Sweater

After knitting for nearly two decades, I think I've finally timed it to actually finish a sweater in the fall. And, more importantly, I'm finally figuring out the types of sweaters I'll actually wear. 

Pattern: October Day Sweater by Masha Zyablikova

Yarn: 8 balls of DROPS Kid-Silk from Garnstudio in rust

Cost: $70

Learning to knit, I gravitated toward chunkier yarns that were easier to work with and came together quickly. However, over time I've become more interested in complicated stitch patterns. I liked to think that I was getting better and making nicer sweaters. Still, they weren't always getting worn. Made in worsted wool, cotton, or even acrylic, I realized most of my sweaters were HEAVY. They felt like a lot to wear, were often too warm, and were not always made in the best quality yarn. 

Recently, after making a t-shirt from sock yarn, I've decided the key is to knit lighter, smaller gauge sweaters that are more wearable. I've also started investing more in nice yarn for my projects. This project is a combination of both those things and I've actually found myself wearing it quite a bit!

The sweater is a modified version of the October Day Sweater. I made it in the recommended yarn (DROPS Kid-Silk from Garnstudio) which is 75% mohair and 25% silk - fuzzy, soft, and really light! I'll admit that the first time I tried on this sweater I felt a bit like a yetti, but after fixing some fit issues it feels much better. 

This is the rust color, which I had a really hard time tracking down but eventually found it on Etsy and got it shipped from Lithuania. This pattern has you knit with two strands together, which knits up quicker than I thought given how small the yarn is, but the end result is still really lightweight. 

The October Day pattern is really beautiful. I was inspired to make it by a sweater in the Spring 2019 collection from Delpozo, which has a similar lacey leaf pattern. To adapt this pattern to look more like the inspiration, I gradually faded the leaf pattern into stockinette rather than carry it through the entire sweater. Either way it's a fun piece to knit and the lace is really beautiful. 

Other than changing the lace pattern, I tried to follow the instructions closely. Admittedly, they were a bit of a challenge, owing in part to the fact that they're translated from Russian. Some of the things just don't quite make sense or aren't written the way I'm used to. However, I took my time and eventually figured it out. It's a bottom-up pattern with the top knit as a yoke, which allows for a mostly seamless construction.

I'll leave you with this final view at sunset overlooking the cliffs near our house. It's so beautiful I even ventured out in public with my tripod to capture some pictures. Even though it's November it was over 70 degrees out with people playing in the waves down below. 

Now to start knitting some Christmas stockings!