Ode to a perfect pullover
By Megan Goodacre
So of course, since I have a very short attention span, I have many projects on the go. But I wanted to finish my little mini review of each pattern in my new Layer Collection.
Ode is such a simple pattern. So simple, in fact, that while I was writing and knitting the pattern, I thought, Is this too simple? There are no cables, no lace, no buttons, no seams.
I finished it, blocked it, set it aside. And still felt ambivalent about its merits.
Until I threw it on one day when my studio was chilly.
And then fell in love with it.
It's really ideal with a tank or a t-shirt underneath. Very comfortable. Fitted enough at the hips to look good with a slightly longer layer underneath. Loose at the bust for a little drape and smooth curves. Lightweight but warm in this particular yarn, a 100% merino fingering weight. And the neck, with its nice wide scoop, is quite flattering.
The deets:
Ode is worked from the bottom up, in the round, with a simple garter stitch edge, and a small vertical garter stitch detail at the sides (a little bit of visual trickery to make you feel more vertical). The short dolman sleeves are shaped at the same time as the body. The back shoulders are shaped with short rows, while the front shoulders are straight. When the front and back shoulders are joined (with a 3 needle bind off), you get a nice angled line along the back of the shoulder, mimicking the fully-fashioned shoulder that you see in store-bought sweaters. Just a little detail, but it moves the bulk of the shoulder seam away from the top of the shoulder, making it a little more comfortable and flattering.
Ode is such a simple pattern. So simple, in fact, that while I was writing and knitting the pattern, I thought, Is this too simple? There are no cables, no lace, no buttons, no seams.
I finished it, blocked it, set it aside. And still felt ambivalent about its merits.
Until I threw it on one day when my studio was chilly.
And then fell in love with it.
It's really ideal with a tank or a t-shirt underneath. Very comfortable. Fitted enough at the hips to look good with a slightly longer layer underneath. Loose at the bust for a little drape and smooth curves. Lightweight but warm in this particular yarn, a 100% merino fingering weight. And the neck, with its nice wide scoop, is quite flattering.
The deets:
Ode is worked from the bottom up, in the round, with a simple garter stitch edge, and a small vertical garter stitch detail at the sides (a little bit of visual trickery to make you feel more vertical). The short dolman sleeves are shaped at the same time as the body. The back shoulders are shaped with short rows, while the front shoulders are straight. When the front and back shoulders are joined (with a 3 needle bind off), you get a nice angled line along the back of the shoulder, mimicking the fully-fashioned shoulder that you see in store-bought sweaters. Just a little detail, but it moves the bulk of the shoulder seam away from the top of the shoulder, making it a little more comfortable and flattering.
