The Weekender Sweater

The Weekender Sweater

10.30.19

KNITTING

Handmade

While my knitting practice is absolutely a year round affair, my needles pick up speed significantly in late summer moving into fall and winter. This year I felt inspiration for all the things I wanted to make positively overflowing. I made photo collages of styles I admired. I took detailed notes to organize my thoughts and plans about what pieces I would be making to add to my own wardrobe and what pieces I want to gift for the holidays.


It was hard to decide where to start, but I ended up jumping in with the Weekender sweater from Drea Renee Knits and I am so glad that I did! It is truly a wardrobe staple and it’s a good thing that I made this first, because I have worn it in some capacity a few times a week ever since it came off my needles.

I ended up photographing it completely on the fly, on a random weekend day full of mom things including errands and lots of driving kids around. I decided that was the perfect time to capture it because it was the state I expect to wear it in most often – minimal makeup, with jeans and no bra (!!), feeling comfy and relaxed.


Not only do I love the finished piece but it was a so much fun to knit AND it knit up crazy fast. As in, eleven days from start to finish while I was simultaneously knitting another project and still fulfilling all my normal duties of full time job, mom life, etc. That’s the joy of worsted weight yarn. I think I may make a cream colored version eventually. What color would you make?

Scroll down for all the details on this lovely project including links to the yarn and pattern, and more photos.

My Notes

Fit

I made the size for a 44 inch finished bust circumference. My full bust is somewhere around 39 inches and although the pattern recommends selecting a size to give 10 inches of positive ease, I find that much ease to look enormous on my already large bust. I am pleased with the size I chose, as it is still quite baggy and roomy but not so much so that it looks unkempt. I didn’t bother knitting a test swatch and I don’t regret it. This sweater is relatively easy to fit as you go.

Pattern

I LOVE THIS PATTERN. I love the tubular cast on for the split hem, I absolutely adore the fact that it is knit inside out to speed up the process (hooray for less purling!), the ribbed drop shoulder with exposed seam is so stylish. I just can’t say enough good things about this. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Difficulty

I think this would be a phenomenal choice for a first sweater for someone with just a bit of knitting experience. There are lots of techniques to be learned if you are unfamiliar (tubular cast on, knitting in the round, slipped stitches, three needle bind off, and more) and this would be a very approachable way to acquire these skills.

The Weekender
The Weekender
The Weekender
The Weekender
The Weekender
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The Weekender
The Weekender
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