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!

F.O. Winston Pullover by Jane Richmond

I have always been a huge fan of Jane Richmond and her beautiful patterns.  I was so excited to have the opportunity to test knit a sweater for her, and was super happy with the result.  Let me fill you in on the details, and I guarantee that you will want to knit one for yourself!

Pattern:  Winston Pullover

Winston Pullover

Designer:  Jane Richmond

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

Colourway: Wheat (4.6 skeins)

Needles:  12mm for the body, 8mm for the ribbing

Ravelry:  see notes here

Added Notes:  
1.  This sweater has a top down construction knit in super bulky yarn.   I had never knit a sweater in this weight before, and I finished it in five days.  Five days!!!!  It can take me four to six weeks to complete a fingering weight sweater, so to me this short time frame is astounding.  It is a super simple sweater that any beginner could easily complete. 

2.  Now for the yarn.  It is a combination of 80% Acrylic and 20% Wool.  I bought it from Michaels Craft Store and the whole sweater cost under $50.  I admit that I am a yarn snob and have never knit a sweater with yarn bought from Michaels, or yarn that contains acrylic, so I was so interested to see what my thoughts were after the knit was complete.  And I have to tell you my thoughts are super positive...I was pleasantly surprised.  The yarn was easy to work with on 12mm needles.  I have worn this sweater quite a bit outside on cool days and it kept me warm.  I posed for the photo on a day that was -16 degrees Celcius (3 degrees Fahrenheit) and I was not cold at all.  I have also worn it around the house and it is so cozy that I didn't want to take it off.  The yarn comes in many different colours and for the price I am considering making another one. (Jane is currently knitting this pattern in seed stitch...I might try that).  The sweater doesn't feel too heavy to wear either.  And you can pop it in the washer and drier without a worry.  I think having the 20% wool content is what makes the garment feel so great.

3.  I was worried that making a super bulky sweater would make me look bigger than I am.  But here, too, I was pleasantly surprised.  Jane created a design that is super cozy but somehow doesn't look super bulky on.  She worked her magic with the design so that sweater is shaped to compliment the person wearing it.  You can read more about this sweater over on Jane's blog. 

4.  I would like to add how happy I am to see that Jane is back to designing after her nasty fall, and resulting concussion earlier this year.  I always look forward to seeing and knitting her new designs, and hopefully she will publish more in 2019.  She has such a beautiful library of patterns that you can wear over and over again. Plus many of her patterns are knit in yarn that is budget friendly which is a bonus.  I have personally knit eight of her patterns.  Three of my favourites are the Clarke Pullover (I have knit three versions of this sweater), Grace and the Entwine Scarf.  I wear these sweaters quite a bit.

Clarke Pullover

Entwine Scarf

Grace

Have I convinced you yet to knit this pattern?  I am thinking of knitting another version in Rowan Big Wool (100% merino) which I would think would work beautifully with this pattern.  I have three skeins of this yarn in the colourway Pine Needle (077) and I am on the hunt for three more.  I am finding it hard to locate so if anyone knows where I can get this colourway please let me know.  If you are considering this sweater Jane Richmond is offering 20% off this pattern through to December 31st.  So what are you waiting for?

Happy knitting!