Colourplay Striped Raglan Sweater – WIP

It’s only half done, but I love the colourplay on this little striped raglan sweater.

This sweater-in-progress is for my niece. After I used up all my blue stash on a too-small jumper, she will just have to wear stripes this season. Forget any fashion implications – she’s four! She’ll love it. And I’m loving knitting it.

The pattern is Flax, more or less.

Can we take a minute to appreciate how adding stripes completely transforms this pattern?

I do understand that’s rather the point of The Simple Collection! but seeing all the variations on a theme never fails to delight. I didn’t participate in Tin Can Knits’ recent Hackathon, but I loved seeing all the projects.

I’m using a DK weight, so for the four-to-six year old size I cast on 90 stitches and have used 3.25mm needles throughout. I’ve also omitted the garter panels on the sleeves, as I think there’s enough going on here!

You may recognize the colours from this blanket. I’m using Parma Violet as the accent and collar and cuffs, and thick stripes of Violet, Aster, Raspberry, Clematis and Lavender for the rest.

I love the way the colours work together. That’s one of the lovely things about using a yarn pack. The colours just go.

You might not think this striped raglan sweater is a very “girly” sweater, but that’s okay for my niece. My sister dresses her in a lot of denim, and classic handknits (not from me – there’s a way more consistent supply from the craft fair near her house, AKA from my rivals). Picture a wee blonde toddler in jeans and a cream gansey jumper. Cute, no? Cute, practical, and unisex. This is destined to be one of the girlier knits in her wardrobe!

I’m really into the raglan increases for some reason, because I think they add a lot of interest and break up some of those crazy stripes! I’m carrying the accent colour along, and that and the jogless stripe trick as deformed one raglan slightly. This bothers me. I think most of it will block out (yes it’s acrylic, yes I’ll still block it). What doesn’t come out in the wash, I can tidy up by darning and duplicate stitch.

I think I might work a pocket in there, to designate one side as The Front – and so I can hide the not-so-nice raglan at the back!

I need to work another three inches on the body before I reach the hem. Then it’s the sleeves and that’s it! I hope my yarn supply holds out – although it wouldn’t be a tragedy if the stripe pattern on the arms wasn’t identical to that of the body.

It would only feel like it.

(Hey this is a new thing I’m going to try and do, both here and on Instagram – Work in Progress Wednesdays. Keep an eye out for more… every Wednesday.)