Shells sweater finished

Shells sweater: back, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

I'm really happy with this sweater, very much thanks to the yarn that I tried for the first time. Rowan Creative Linen (50% cotton, 50% linen) is nice to work with as it softer than 100% linen, but the linen gives it an attractive sheen.

Shells sweater: front

The needle size recommended is 4½ mm (US 7) but I used 3 mm (US 2½) for a better relief effect. Actually, I could use even thinner needles, but that would require more yarn - and the sweater is heavy enough as it is, weighing some 850 grams. Also, this gauge was perfect for the number of repeats I wanted.

A couple of days ago I bought a circular needle and must say I am rather intrigued by the picture that went with it. Is this what you will look like if you use this particular knitting needle?

 I should add that I'm really pleased with the needle: it's comfortable to work with, the points are just as sharp as I like, and the size is printed on it. But what made them choose this picture to sell it? Well, in my case it obviously worked!

"Shells" sweater progress: collar

"Shells" sweater in progress: collar, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.

Today I thought I'd share how I knit the collar.

I divided the front where I wanted the collar to start (it had to be deep enough, but after a whole pattern repeat to make it look nice) not in the middle but after the middle panel. For this panel I replaced the shells with ribbing

To knit the second half I cast on the number of stitches required for another middle panel with a ribbing pattern, and later sewed it in place on the wrong side to make the seam as invisible as possible.

After joining the shoulders (using the three-needle bind-off method) I started knitting the collar back and forth: first one of the front halves, then the stitches from the back, then the second front. I will probably knit about 10-15 cm (4-6 in) from here.