Knit a Summer Sweater with Very Shannon

It started a few days ago, but the Summer Sweater Knitalong at Very Shannon still has a long way to go if you want to jump in and stitch a sweater this season.

The knitalong kicked off July 31 and runs through Step. 10. Its aim is to get knitters to make sweaters, whether that be a sweater you can wear while it’s still warm or something to help you transition into cooler weather.

You can even work on a sweater you’ve already started, and you don’t technically have to finish your sweater by the deadline to be eligible for prizes.

Wait, prizes? Yup. She’s got some great sponsors, including Brooklyn Tweed, Fringe Supply, Pompom magazine and We Are Knitters, among others, who will be doling out goodies to participants.

This is a super fun way to get a jump on fall knitting or to make that sweater you’ve always been too intimidated to take on.

Are you taking part in the knitalong? I’d love to know what you’re making!

[Photo: Very Shannon.]

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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