Britney's Chunky Montagne Sweater

Seeing Sarah's amazing chunky sweater made me wish I had my own. I remembered a few months back having the Quince & Co Wool Five trunk show in the shop featuring the Montagne sweater. I loved the kangaroo pocket so much, and who can resist a big chunky sweater? When a little Christmas money came my way, I knew exactly how I wanted to spend it.

Pattern: Montagne by Melissa LaBarre from Quince & Co Wool Five Collection
Yarn: 6 skeins Malabrigo Chunky in Frank Ochre
Size: 34 on 10.5 US needles
Changes made: lengthened sleeves and added thumb holes

I love how bold this sweater is. When I was trying to decide what yarn to use, it was a no-brainer. Malabrigo Chunky is made of buttery soft merino wool, is a super stable 3 ply yarn, comes in amazing kettle dyed colors and has a fantastic price point. Choosing which colorway to use was a little less obvious. I was drawn to Frank Ochre, but I was worried about how it would look on me. Plus there are so many beautiful colors! After a little reassurance from some of the rest of the Fancy Tiger staff, I took the plunge with this daring canary-mustard hybrid yarn. It is definitely not an obvious choice for my skin tone, but it looks great I am so happy with the results.

The simplicity of this top-down raglan design makes it effortless and timeless, but I can't get over the special little design features that make it so special and unique. The front kangaroo pocket is amazing. So cute and practical. Plus, the uncommon rib pattern that Melissa LaBarre uses for the collar and hem adds an unexpected touch.

I did decide to make a few small changes to the design. The first change I made was the needle size. I made a gauge swatch using the recommended needle size and found that I was true to gauge. I'd remembered the sample swallowing me a bit, so I chose to go down to US 10.5 instead of the recommended US 11 for my final needle size. In the end, the fit is great. Slim fitting enough to be flattering, but just enough positive easy to be comfy-cozy.

I also decided to lengthen and added thumb holes to the sleeves. I wanted to have built in fingerless mitts to keep my hands toasty warm all winter.

This sweater knits up super fast! The super chunky yarn meant that I had a finished sweater completely ready to wear in just a few days! Talk about a satisfying project!