I didn’t plan to knit a Summer Sorrel this year, but you know how plans go. Yarn mysteriously showed up in my house (or something), and then there was a class, and it was just meant to be.
Went Overboard During Local Yarn Store Day
My big plans for LYS day were to go to a couple of shops, buy a couple of little items to support them, call it a day. I bought seven skeins of yarn, a candle, and a needle felting kit. I need to be supervised in yarn shops and book stores.
I picked up six skeins of Hedgehog Fibers Twist Sock from The Mermaid’s Purl, which I grouped into two different projects. The “beachy” group, which includes the colors Always a Mermaid, Brine, and Mermaids Locks, didn’t really have a plan at first, but I really loved how they went together.
Allyson’s Class Listing to the Rescue
Around the same time, my friend Allyson published her summer class listing. I don’t usually take classes, but I saw that she was offering a “Sorrel Party” class, which included the Summer Sorrel pattern, and realized that it would be a great fit for this yarn. So I signed up, thinking that it would give me motivation to keep up with the pattern and provide a nice option for knitting with people on the regular.
I said this in a recent post, but I do highly recommend taking a class with Allyson if you have the opportunity. She excels at providing instructions in a way that they feel accessible, with excellent feedback. And even though it’s all virtual, she helps to create a really comfortable atmosphere. Even if you think you don’t necessarily need a class to knit a particular project, you’ll learn something along the way and have fun doing it.
Knitting My Summer Sorrel
One takeaway from Allyson’s class that I hadn’t really thought about before was that you can block your project whenever you want. This was great, since my gauge was all over the place while trying to swatch. Allyson had us cast on for the size that we thought would work best (after an initial swatch), but then block again after working the short-rows at the top of the sweater. This gave us the most accurate gauge for the sweater because it was the sweater. Meta, right? It’s similar to why I use sleeves as my swatches (and somehow I have yet to write a blog about that?).
The elongated pattern stitches are pretty easy to work, they just require a bit of attention. I didn’t love making them. And I didn’t hate making them. I greatly appreciate how they blurred the color changes as I moved between yarn colors.
My Summer Sorrel Modifications
They are many. First and foremost, I have no idea what my gauge ended up. I swatched using the recommended needles, but that fabric was too loose. A needle smaller was a bit on the tighter side, so I used the numbers for a larger size and ended up with about 6-8″ of positive ease.
I was very leery of the neckline. The larger necklines in the pattern are kind of ridiculously large. My i-cord cast on came out on the tighter side so the neckline didn’t get too big. If you want a larger size but don’t want a giant neckline, you could cast on for a smaller neckline and work more increases in the chart.
I wanted a cropped length for the body. I don’t tend to wear a lot of yarn-garments in the summer, because they can be really warm. Making the body length shorter helps with the heat factor. I’m debating ripping out the ribbing at the hem and sleeves and working a decrease round. Pulling in the stitch count before the ribbing will make it a bit more blousey. But I’m also lazy.
Word on the street is that folks tend to get really into this stitch pattern and make all the Sorrels. I don’t particularly feel that call just yet, but we’ll see.
The Details
Cast on: June 9, 2022
Bind off: August 11, 2022
Yarn: Hedgehog Fibers Twist Sock (80% Blue-faced Leicester, 20% nylon): 1 skein Always a Mermaid, 1.2 skein Brine, .6 skein Mermaid’s Locks (all yarn amounts are estimates)
Size: used the numbers for the 65″ size. body measures ~28″ flat.
Modifications: different gauge, cropped length, didn’t add much for sleeves