I wrote a little about Sheltered last week, and I’ve been wearing it almost constantly, because it’s winter, I’m cold, and I love this knit! So I thought it deserved its own blog.
This pattern is essentially a poncho, but clever Andrea Mowry seamed a few stitches under the arms, making it a swancho, the new construction that’s taking the knitting world by storm. I think they’re cute, how about you?
Here are a few examples of swanchos that I love:
That Wisteria swancho is especially dreamy. I may have to knit it, and it’s a free pattern! I’m not a bobble-hater, so I think I would enjoy this one.
One of the reasons I love Sheltered is because it’s written to have a ton of ease. I knitted the medium, so as I get smaller, the poncho will continue to fit. In the photo below, Andrea is also wearing a medium, but hers has 31 inches of positive ease. I can only hope to get as small as Andrea, so I think my Sheltered will stand the test of time!
Some projects say they look good on all body types, but Sheltered really does. I do have some advice for potential Shelter knitters, though: Take a look at the finished objects in the Ravelry gallery. Many look too large to me, and that’s why I decided on the medium. At some point mine will be looser, but I wanted it to look like it fit me, not like it was dwarfing me.
This is an issue for us shorties, and I battle it all the time. I like tunic length tops, because they hide all the “bad stuff,” but they can also add to the dumpiness, so I try to choose shorter lengths that cover just what I want them to, and aren’t too large otherwise. These can be hard to find, which is why I spend a fortune at J.Jill.
In my knitting, I stay away from tunics, simply because I don’t want to knit that much on one sweater—or use that much yarn—and I won’t get the drape I like unless I use fingering-weight yarn. I don’t have all the time in the world to knit a sweater, so no thanks!
Sheltered is perfect for me—not too long, not too wide (yet), and worsted-weight! I used Shepherd’s Wool Worsted from Stonehedge Fiber Mill, in the color chocolate milk. It’s a gray-brown that goes with everything. I can’t emphasize how much I LOVE this yarn. It’s wonderful to knit with, has great stitch definition, is affordable, and comes in a bunch of great colors. Highly recommended!
Andrea incorporated several interesting techniques into Sheltered (did I mention her cleverness?!), which was really fun. There are faux seams, the slipped stitch that runs up the front (and back), and a textural twisted stitch on the top of the sweater. Here’s a closeup of the details:
I didn’t say it was a GOOD closeup picture. Sorry about that—I hope you can see the stitches. You can see where the stitch pattern changes from stockinette to twisted-stitch stockinette, though. The twisted pattern is knit through the back loop on the right side and purled on the wrong side (thanks Andrea, purling through the back loop is a pain in the butt!).
The diagonal seams are created by slipping stitches with yarn in front, but the real inventiveness is the straight seam across the top. Those stitches are bound off and then picked up through the back loop. So the “seam” you’re seeing is the front loop of the bind off. CLEVER! I learn something new from Andrea every time I knit one of her patterns. Love her.
Now about that screw up noted in the top right of the photo. I have to be honest—I don’t remember exactly what I did wrong, but I think I went a row too far before binding off. I do remember thinking that it was no big deal, and I still don’t think it’s the end of the world. You can’t tell unless you get really close, and who’s going to be getting that close to the boob area?
I didn’t make the same mistake on the back, so that’s a smoother transition. People can get as close to the back as they want to!
So that’s my journey through Sheltered. I know Andrea named it for the yarn she designed it with, but I really feel so cozy in this piece, and yes, sheltered. I’m writing this blog on vacation in warm Arizona, but the polar vortex is going on right now, and we have family in Cincinnati who are literally sheltering from the storm. One of them is a knitter, and I know she’s hunkered down with her needles clicking.
Cheers,
Giveaway!
I have one full skein of Shepherd’s Wool left, plus a ball that’s a bit less than half a skein. Leave a comment, and I’ll put you in a pool to win it! It’s enough to knit a hat, mittens, or ??? So tell me what’s up with you, and you might wind up with a little something to add to your stash!
I love reading your blog and am so glad you are starting it up again! Your passion for knitting is contagious!
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Thanks, Michele! I hope you catch my knitting fever.
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Love your swoncho, Kathleen — and I really like that pattern, too. That is going on my project list for me! 😊
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Thanks, Patty. You’ll love the sweater!
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Love the color you picked–its chocolate! Canr go wrong there. (Glad your back!)
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It’s one of those colors that seems to change, match, depending on what you’re wearing.
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It’s wonderful to “catch up” with you Kathleen. Your swancho is beautiful! I totally get the “short height” thing. I’m only 5’1” and I knit something that was supposed to be a sleeveless cardigan/vest. It comes down to my knees. Whoops! So it’s more of a sleeveless sweater coat. I look forward to reading about your journey! I’m getting ready to cast on Old Vine shawlette. One size fits all!
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Us shorties need to stick together! The. The Old Vine is beautiful.
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Thanks for the review of this pattern! I’m currently buried under samples to be knit, but would love to make one for me as soon as I can!
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You’re welcome. It’s worth the wait!
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So glad that your surgery went well and you’re back to blogging! I enjoy reading all about your knitting adventures!
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Thanks, Janet. I’m holding myself to a weekly schedule—a resolution I think I can keep!
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This turned out so nicely for you. I am intrigued by the pattern, it is so versatile and fashionable. I put this pattern in my favorites and will go over the projects and learn a bit more. I’m going to go stash diving soon! Thanks for the notes as they are always so helpful.
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You’re welcome! I know you’ll love the swancho.
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I love your blog and miss you … for some reason I don’t often get it via email and like most of us, forget that it’s missing until POP there you are in my email feed. I need to figure out how to fix this!
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Thanks, Ellen! I have just recently started blogging again, so it’s possible that you are receiving the emails! Glad to have you here.
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Shelter, what a lovely name for a sweater. Shelter us from the cold. 😊
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Yes! I love your perspective.
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Love it! Great job, and you look beautiful no matter what!
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Thanks, M!
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Thanks for not being shy about sharing mistakes! You look amazing!
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Thanks, Gerda! I swear there’s some sort of mistake in every project I knit. It’s my trademark!
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