FO Friday | Loulou and Mineral.

It was 40 degrees, drizzling and windy on Sunday morning, but Katie did a fine job with the camera - and now I have not one, but two!!!!, finished sweaters to share!

First up is Loulou, a pattern Amy Miller released in January. I bought it the day it came out, thinking the sweater quantity of Kid Classic I had (purchased on major sale a few years back when Rowan discontinued the color) would work. My stitch gauge was a smidge loose but the row gauge worked (phew, I would not want to recalculate that raglan shaping!). I knit the size 36 to get a 37. and I couldn't be happier with the fit. (thank you, Amy, for getting me to more ease and more length in my sweaters ... it works!)

This sweater was knit in pieces and seamed. The hardest part of the whole project for me was the exposed seams. seriously. two days of "knitting time" with a sewing needle. But what a cool detail!

The funnest part of the project was the texture stitch on the front and back. (I haven't looked at the finished piece too closely - if there are boo-boo's in the pattern, I don't want to know!)

I also learned a new-to-me technique - knitting an i-cord and then picking up stitches along the edge. I love the look - and it's easy!

A friend who owns a clothing boutique suggested the white jeans. It was colder yesterday when I wore the sweater again (hopefully for the last time this season) and I wore my boots (also hopefully for the last time this season 😉) ... definitely a better choice than those flats without socks! 

And here's Mineral.

This is the sweater I started on that lemonade day back in January. I finished it quickly (topdown seamless stockinette on size 8 needles - sweaters don't get much faster than that, especially when the pattern is written by Melanie Berg and just ... flows) and wore it once or twice before the February spring came. I took it to Madison and it was too warm to wear there, too. But I'm not complaining. 

It's a great piece - simple styling, that new "more ease, more length" fit, in one of my favorite Shibui colors. I know I'll wear it plenty next year!

Next week, maybe I'll have a Spring sweater to share. I'm close. and hopefully a weekend full of knitting and basketball is all I need to finish. What are you wishing for this weekend?