Thursday, November 05, 2015

New Pattern: Grainline

At last—the pattern for my Rhinebeck sweater is ready! Grainline, a pullover knit in two colors of worsted weight yarn, is now available in my Ravelry, Etsy, and Craftsy pattern stores.

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Pattern: Grainline, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers in Straw and Light Grey

With its wide boatneck, kimono-inspired sleeves, and contrasting textures, Grainline is a classic yet contemporary design, a sweater you can wear anywhere. It has a comfortable, relaxed fit, with a touch of waist shaping to keep it from being boxy.

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The sweater is worked in the round from the top down, beginning at the neck. That means there's no seaming and little finishing (other than weaving in ends). Easy to knit and to wear! The lovely textured patterns on sleeves and hem consist of simple knits and purls and are provided in both written form and charts. The pattern on the hem is actually slightly different than the one on the sleeves—it's two stitches wider, to be more in proportion with the greater circumference of the hip. (Just one of the little details I love about this design—another is the purl ridge below the ribbed neckband.)

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The distinctive "grainline" is added after the sweater is finished and blocked, using duplicate stitch. If you've never worked duplicate stitch before, don't worry—the pattern provides instructions (and your swatch will be the perfect place to practice it). Once you get the hang of it, you may find yourself wanting to add duplicate stitch to all sorts of projects. I find duplicate stitch indispensable for finishing; I use it to neaten up uneven stitches and hide gaps at joins.

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To celebrate the pattern's release, I'm having a garment pattern sale: When you purchase Grainline from my Ravelry shop, you can take 50% off any other Blue Peninsula sweater, top, or vest with the coupon code GRAINLINE. The sale continues through Friday, November 13.

Thanks go to:
My sister Jenny, for tech editing the pattern (great catches and suggestions, as always)
My sister Jackie, for modeling (the sweater was a size too large for her, but she made it look fantastic nonetheless!)
My sister Betsey, for crocheting the red fox medallion that you see in the background

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Thank you very much for reading!

2 comments:

Jody said...

Congrats! I love the details you mentioned. Talking about changing the proportion of the stitch pattern in the hemline makes so much sense. Smart knitting - love it!

Bonnie said...

Thanks, Jody. Glad you like it.