A Sweater with Reckless Abandon

So there I was browsing through Instagram one day minding my own business when I saw the most wild, amazing knit I've ever laid eyes on. @verca_knits was making this joyous, rainbow-colored hat that was just too cool for words. The knitting was unlike anything I'd ever seen, with bursts of color against a pillowy-soft white yarn. It was nothing like I typically make, and yet suddenly I HAD to make one for myself. I was in love. 

Pattern: DaisyAndPeace Chunky Knitted Sweater No. 15 with this stitch pattern
Yarn: Malabrigo Rasta in Unicorn Bark (4 skeins) and Natural (7 skeins)
Cost: $250

After some internet research, I discovered that the pattern was the Tentacula hat from Jenny Noto. Being extra (and already owning too many knitted hats), I decided I needed this as a SWEATER. After more research, I settled on using Malabrigo's Rasta yarn in Unicorn Bark and Natural (I'll let you guess which color is which). Not only was this a big departure for me style-wise, as I typically don't wear these colors and especially not all at once, but I almost never knit with chunky knits. Undeterred, I soon found myself adding over $200 of bright yarns to my cart. *Gulp*

To adapt Jenny's Tentacula hat pattern, I first found a suitable pattern for a plain chunky knit sweater. You almost don't need a pattern as any two oversized rectangles with sleeves will do, but I still like a bit of guidance. I ended up using this pattern from Etsy. My yarn was a bit bigger than gauge so I ended up kitting the smallest size and reducing the number of stitches to 80%. I know, I know, if I'm going to buy a pattern specifically for a project I should at least get the right one, but I liked its simplicity, the slight puff of the sleeves, and it really was nearly the right size. 


Next was to figure out that stitch pattern. Jenny's pattern has a lot of good information, but I found it a bit difficult to follow. Luckily, she links to this great YouTube video from Knit with Me on how to do the stitch pattern. Even if you don't plan to make this I recommend giving it a watch because it really is a very ingenious stitch pattern. It is mostly worked in stockinette stitch, with loops pulled through with your needle or a crochet hook. She calls the stitch "draw a loop," which I'd never heard of before but has some really cool knitting applications, not the least of which is this stitch pattern. If you follow me on Instagram I'll put up some videos of how it looks to knit. 

From there the sweater knit up pretty quickly, minus some time to order more yarn (twice). The Malabrigo yarn is really very soft and lovely. The sweater is a bit of a beast, but not as stiff as I worried it would be. I think it will serve me well for outdoor dining or drinks, or perhaps an art walk? Anyway, I hope you enjoy this sweater as much as I do and it inspires you to step out of your comfort zone and try something wild. 




1 comment:

  1. This sweater is amazing! I feel like I need to start knitting so I can make myself one…but seriously, the color, the pattern 👌🤩 And it’s sure to last a looong time so well worth the investment in my opinion!!

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