F.O. Winston Pullover #3 by Jane Richmond

Pattern:    Winston Pullover

Designer:  Jane Richmond

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Solids (80% Acrylic, 20% Wool)

Colourway: Wheat and Charcoal

Yarn: Rowan Big Wool (100% Merino)

Colourway:  Pine Needle

Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool (100% Wool)

Colourway:  Beige

Yarn:  Estelle Yarns Gladstone Chunky (50% Merino, 50% Acrylic)

Colourway:  421

Needles: 12mm & 8mm

Size:  38

Ravelry:  see further notes

Added Notes:

1.  Last winter I made two Winston Pullovers, one for me (read about it here), 

and one for my daughter: 

Mine got quite a bit of wear ...it's such a perfect sweater to throw on during those chilly days.  I love it so much that I thought it would be great to knit a cropped version.  I had leftover yarn from the two Winston pullovers taking up space in my stash.  Also, I had picked up three skeins of Rowan Big Wool on sale in my favourite colour green and was ready to get it on the needles.

2.  Modifications:  Using my original Winston Pullover as a guide, I counted the number of rows I would need to knit in order to get my desired length.  The magic number for me was 11 rows for each of the five coloured stripes.  My sweater hits my waist, making it the perfect length to work well with skirts and high waisted pants.  The body measures 12 inches from the underarm.

4.  I needed yarn for the fourth stripe as I didn't have any super bulky yarn in my stash that would work.  After a few false starts I combined two strands of Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool with one strand of Estelle Yarns Gladstone Chunky, in order to equal the thickness of the other yarns I used.  There are flecks of black, green, brown and a bit of blue in the Gladstone Chunky.  I am still wondering if I should have gone with a different colour for that stripe.  However, the feeling of using up deep stash is very satisfying.  Luckily all the yarns in this sweater, although from different companies, played well together and created a consistent gauge.

5.  I am not a fan of acrylic yarns but there is something about the Lion Brand Wool-Ease that I quite like.  It feels warm and cozy to wear and the price is so reasonable.  If you have never tried this yarn before it's worth a look.

6.  I am a huge fan of Jane Richmond and I love every one of her patterns that I have knit.  You would think that a super bulky sweater may not be the most flattering, but Jane seems to know how to design a sweater that looks great on everyone.  I am eagerly waiting the release of a man's sweater that she is currently designing and keeps hinting about on Instagram.

7.  If I haven't convinced you yet to knit this sweater here is my last point.  Super bulky yarn knits up super fast. You could easily knit this sweater in a week.  What are you waiting for?  Look in your stash...you might have exactly what you need and don't be scared to combine yarns.  Just knit a sample swatch and experiment with your yarn.  Happy knitting!