sweater: handknitted, pattern here 

I love this sweater so much. I wanted to make it ever since Carrie made hers. I love that I can basically wear gym clothes and throw it on and look like I tried. Or that I can wear it over a dress and it doesn’t bunch weirdly at the waist because it’s cropped. And that collared shirts look cute under it.

The yarn is this scrumptious alpaca I picked up (specifically for this project) at Stitches West from Ranch of the Oaks in Lompoc, CA. After I bought it I basically spent the rest of the day petting it and cast it on pretty much as soon as I got home. It was a really quick knit and perfect for zoning out while binge-watching tv shows.

Tiny note: I decided that I wanted mine extra cropped, which in retrospect may not have been the best decision since boobs + extra long torso. I still love where this one hits but I think it’s toeing the line of too short so probably I’ll just follow the pattern exactly on the next one (there will definitely be a next one).

Sidenote: there are also the Lila Top Down and Lila Light, neither of which I’ve knitted but both of which are intriguing. I should really probably start knitting with lighter weight yarns now that I’m no longer living in the arctic north (Boston). Case in point: the day this sweater was blocked and ready to be worn, I very excitedly picked out an outfit and pulled it on.. and then walked outside where it was 90 degrees. No exaggeration.

(Was anyone else as obsessed with the Sweet Valley series as I was?)