Knitting! A Moss Green Deep Sea Sweater

I'm kicking off 2022 on the blog with something a little unusual for me...knitting! I started to knit a few years ago and still count myself very much as a beginner. I've dabbled in a few different stitches and techniques but my mind is still blown by colour work, lace work and increasing and decreasing by any more than a few stitches. I've been using kits up until this point as I haven't been able to quite get my head around matching yarn to a pattern! There are so many different types, weights and choices! I've been making an effort to look at patterns I like and the yarn recommendations and think I understand more now so maybe next time I'll give that a whirl.

My Dad bought me the kit for this jumper for Christmas last year and I put the final stitches in it on Christmas Eve this year...yes I'm a very slow knitter! I did pick it up and put it down a lot over the year and during summer I never feel that inspired to knit. I'm just pleased that I finished this in time to get some wear out of it this winter. I do unfortunately find that knitting isn't all that great for my hands so I have to limit myself to a small amount each day or they get really sore. It's a shame as I could quite happily sit there all day with a good boxset on! My Mum bought me a set of Knitpro Symfonie needles a couple of years ago. They are much more comfortable to knit with than the plastic needles I started with and I like them so much I bought the matching circular needles set.

This is the Wool and the Gang Deep Sea Sweater in the most gorgeous moss green colour which unfortunately it looks like they've discontinued. The pattern itself has actually been renamed since I received it - it used to be the Mother of Pearl Sweater. Each time I've chosen a new kit I've tried to pick something slightly different to what I've done before and something to challenge me just a little and develop a new knitting skill. The last jumper I did had a cable up each sleeve which I really enjoyed and this time I used circular needles for the first time - just for the neck. You knit the front, back and sleeves separately, sew up the shoulders then pick the neck stitches up on to your circular needles to create the turtleneck, then sew on the sleeves and side seams. As well as the new technique I loved the variety of stitches used to create this design and the combination of textures that that resulted in. You start with rib at the hem, stocking stitch around the body and then beautiful moss stitch across the chest.

Another thing I liked about this kit is that it uses the Wool and the Gang New Wave yarn. The core of this yarn is made from recycled plastic bottles which is then cased it cotton. On first appearance it is a wonderful bouncy, spongy yarn which looks beautiful knitted up. I did however have a bit of trouble with it when knitting as the cotton casing is a kind of mesh which gets easily caught up on the tip of the needle from time to time and now the jumper is finished and being worn it catches and pulls so easily! I do love the appearance of it and it is lovely to touch and wear though. I've used three other kits from Wool and the Gang and have mixed opinions on most of their yarns and how they wear. I've also found quite a few breaks in the skeins which are annoying. But I'm such a novice I don't have much to compare them to so maybe I am wrong!

It knitted up pretty much without a hitch until I was doing the neck and realised I'd dropped a stitch when I was picking them all up on to the circular needles! I was well into the neck by this point and couldn't bear to rip it out so I managed to somewhat bodge it by looping that stitch into a few above it and then sewing it into the shoulder seam. I think it looks alright and I'm sure I won't even remember in a few months.

The offending neck edge and shoulder seam

The neck has ended up being my favourite thing about this garment. It is knitted really long, then folded down inside and stitched down loosely around the neckline seam. This makes it a really chunky, spongey turtleneck with a great shape and I love the clean folded edge along the opening. The neck, cuff and hem ribbing is all knitted on a smaller needle which seems to make it nice and thick and pronounced compared to the other stitches. I'm really pleased with my neat ribbing on this. 

Considering how much I like sewing I really don't enjoy the sewing up part of knitting! I asked my Nan (who is an amazing knitter) for some tips to help and she said she hates that part too! I showed her the wool and the gang instructions for sewing up (which loop through each row or stitch) and she said she usually does it much more simply than that - sort of by doing a simple back stitch with the yarn. It does leave a bit of a seam but no bulkier than the other methods I've tried and it was much quicker. I also find weaving in the ends painstaking when you are so close to the finish line! 

I haven't blocked this jumper yet as I love the appearance of it as it is and don't want to ruin it! I have blocked my previous two jumpers and it really helped both of them so perhaps I should give this one a go. 

I think I'd quite like to try a project knitted top down entirely on circular needles next. Or perhaps a bit more cable?