I Haz a Manu

 

PATTERN: Manu by Kate Davies
NEEDLES: US 5 and 7 circulars
YARN: Rowan Felted Tweed in Carbon

Ever since I first saw the project page for this sweater on Ravelry, before the pattern was even released, I have coveted one of my very own. I seriously stalked the project for months, waiting for the pattern to be released, and then I went on a quest to create the perfect version of it for me and my lifestyle. After a brief flirtation with a hand-dyed yarn (I bought Squoosh Rapture for the project originally), I eventually came around and stuck with my guts, which were screaming at me to knit the sweater in tweed. Do you all know about my love for tweed? It's a love that knows no limits. And I'm really, really glad I listened to my heart on this one.

 

Because the tweed is fabulous. The color is a little misleading - it really does look this blue in some lights, but it can also look rather gray, which is why I liked it so much - it was so reminiscent of the colors in my "natural habitat" - the Pacific Northwest. I thought it would make the ultimate Seattle sweater - and I think it did.

 

From the get-go, I was drawn to the drapey nature of the sweater (it's perfect for layering over jeans or dresses, as above) and the pleated yoke. It's such a beautiful design, and the pattern is really, really well written with lovely finishing details like an i-cord edging and pleated pockets on the front.

 

Even though my sweater looks a lot like the original, I did make a few modifications. Most importantly, I knit the entire sweater on size 5 needles, instead of changing for the various garter edges and such. In the end, I really like the result. I did use US 7s for the i-cord edging, though. Another big modification was to knit the body a bit longer than the pattern called for. In the end, with the extra length and then the growth accumulated by washing, I'd say my sweater is more like 18.5 or 19 inches long, rather than 16.25 or whatever the sweater pattern said to do. Again, I think this is an advantage. While a too-long sweater can be sloppy, I found that most of the Ravelry projects that didn't look good seemed to suffer from the makers not knitting the sweater long enough. Without length, the pockets can make a lady look rather dumpy - especially if that lady is wider around the hips (ahem). I actually think the sweater looks really nice even without the pockets, so if you're on the fence about knitting it, don't be. It's extremely flattering, and since the pockets go on last, you can wait and see if you want to add them.

  

Comments

[Jan]

What a lovely sweater, and in such a luscious blue. The pockets are very sweet, and add just the right touch of 'girlie' to the sweater. Great design choice, making it longer...Looks wonderful.

[Chelsea]

Very nice, the color is beautiful and I agree perfect for the pacific northwest. Enjoy!