Shawna's Golden Nurtured Sweater

Given my continued love for Heirloom Romney yarn, it was an obvious choice for making my Nurtured sweater. The worsted weight yarn works perfectly for the design and combined with the stitch pattern, it rendered the fluffiest, warmest, cheeriest cropped sweater ever!

Pattern: Nurtured by Andrea Mowry
Yarn: Heirloom Romney (5 skeins) in Golden Beet 
Size made: 5
Modifications: none

This sweater has great texture that looks complex, but it is really simple to accomplish. One row is all knit stitches and the next row alternates a purl stitch and a slip stitch. And repeat! It is very easy to fall into the rhythm of the stitch pattern, and the repetition makes it easy to keep track of where you are in the pattern. You won't want to put this knit down, but if you have to take a pause, it is easy to pick up again.

Knit in the round from the bottom up, the sleeves are made first. This is a benefit for two reasons. One, no sleeve island* (!!!) and two, the first sleeve can be used as your gauge swatch (!!). The body is next, and it goes quickly since it's cropped. If you prefer a longer style, this is a perfect time to lengthen your sweater. Everything is then joined in the round, and the raglan shaping is worked. Ribbing at the neck finishes it all up. Done! It's so fast. I'm looking forward to having this sweater around for our cool spring nights and the occasional spring snow day.

*Sleeve island is the technical term for when you have all of a sweater done but a sleeve (or two). I am there A LOT, but the sleeve-first construction of this pattern saved me.