Brooks Farm Bonanza

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Brooks Farm's Four Play? It's pretty. It's warm. It's soft. It's so pretty. It's got a lot of give, and it's easy on the hands. It's squishy. And, have I mentioned it's really really pretty?

So, first up is the Ribby Pulli from Chic Knits. I think I got this stash of Brooks Farm at Maryland Sheep and Wool this past May. This is a great, easy to follow pattern, with many options - you can make it with short sleeves and a hood, you can make with a pocket, you can make it with a crew neck, you can make it with a funnel neck. The pattern has many pictures, so you don't have to guess what the different combination of options is going to look like. And, drum roll - there's no sewing! And, it's perfect for a yarn that is slightly variegated. This sweater, like my Wallaby, is sure to become a staple of my winter wardrobe.


And, another soon to be staple Gertrudefrom Smith Island Pattern Factory. Courtney knit the original in Cascade 220, a very durable, dependable option - I think I snazzed it up a bit by knitting it in a lovely green (hmmmm . . . maybe we've seen this color before? It's actually slightly lighter than the Wallaby) Brooks Farm Fourplay. I told myself at Stitches that I wasn't going to buy anything - ha, silly me - we were right across the aisle from Brooks Farm. Since the original Gertrude made the trip to Maryland, it seemed like the perfect marriage of yarn and pattern. And, voila - the vintage button lady was right down the aisle as well. You can't really see the buttons in the picture, but they are fantastic.


Another pattern that worked particularly well with a slightly variegated yarn - it's knit in one piece, starting at the back, casting on stitches for the sleeves, and then working the fronts separately. Only 2 seams - you can't beat that! Well, I guess you can - see above, no seams!

I did make one little oopsy with this sweater. Again, like the Cobblestone pullover, even thought it was for me, I was a bit paranoid that it wouldn't fit. Because it's knit in one piece, and because there's that ribbing in the midst of all that garter - the thing looked like a shrunken doll jacket - so when I went to block it, the measurements call for the back to be 20 inches, and the 2 fronts, 10 each. Because the yarn is so stretchy, I blocked the back at 22, and the 2 fronts at 11. Just because a yarn can do something, doesn't mean it should do something. Now, well, it's a little less fitted than the original, and I think I took a little bit away from the yarn - the fabric seems thinner than my other Brooks' sweaters, it's definitely lost some weight. But, it's still soft, and its still, have I mentioned -- really really pretty!