Pattern Review: "Smuggler" Sweater

Now that we are well into January, it's high time to review the pattern I used for the boys' holiday sweaters...

This year I ended up knitting a free pattern from Ravelry called "Smuggler" by Sublime Yarns. In my hours of searching, this one really stood out in the crowd. I love the stripes, the boat neck, the drape of the DK weight cotton. It all works together beautifully. And, the pattern has the added bonus of being free...although I would have gladly paid for it.

On a scale of 1-5 stars I give this pattern a 5, seriously. I can't really say anything bad about it. Directions were clear, pattern was uncomplicated, and the finished product is gorgeous. It might have been nice to have been able to knit the body in the round instead of two pieces like it is written, but that is splitting hairs. And frankly, if I were more ambitious, I'm sure I could have figured out how to make that happen on my own.



Luckily I had most of the yarn (Rowan Milk Cotton DK) for these sweaters in my stash..."yea me!" for being sensible! Since I only needed to order a few more colors to make these sweaters happen, I headed out online to WEBS to see if I liked any of the other available colors of Rowan Milk Cotton DK to complement what I already had on hand. And then a shocking discovery... I don't know what's going on, but it seems like the folks over at Rowan might be discontinuing this magical yarn. Everything is on closeout.

I am a pretty calm chick but this ruffled my feathers a bit. I love this yarn and have used it for many projects. Then I discovered Viking of Norway Milk & Honey. Same sh*t, different label. Awesome. Ordered what I needed at only $5.29/skein and got on my way. If you've never knit with milk yarn, I suggest you give it a try. It is so soft and the drape is stunning. It can be a tad bit splitty and I suggest knotting your ends because they will not stay woven in, but that is the price you pay for it's softness. If Viking of Norway stops producing this line I will wear a black armband for a year.


I finished the second sweater Christmas Eve, on the way to our family gathering. Yeah, I am a master procrastinator. But all was well in the end so I can justify it!

–Cassandra

PLEASE NOTE: The official ravelry link to this pattern doesn't seem to be working. We have posted a copy of it here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kx6GqScZqacsMNUCSEE_4qlUH9QNUvLPKZFV_b3aeL4/edit

11 comments:

  1. The sweaters look great - I love anything with a boat neck ;)

    I'm not a fan of cotton personally, but it does give a lovely fabric, doesn't it?!

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  2. @pinkundine: I think you might like the milk cotton. It is much lighter than normal cotton. The next time you are at a yarn shop see if they have a skein you can fondle!

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  3. I LOVE how these turned out - GREAT job! And I adore the color choices paired with the browns.

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  4. The jumpers look fab! I'm an avid fan of sirdar sublime wools, exquisite softness and lovely drape. As you say you get what you pay for so I'll be investigating Viking of Norway, many thanks for the recommendation. Happy knitting! X

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    1. @miranda: thanks for the encouragement! I am going to check out that Sirdar ;)

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  5. Lovely sweaters and great color choices! Found your blog from Ravelry where I've had these sweaters faved for a while. I was just about to investigate buying yarn to make two boy versions of this sweater myself (thanks for the suggestions) and attempted to download the free pattern, and hmmmm, the link on Ravelry to the pattern seems to no longer work. I called my yarn store and they don't have this particular Sublime booklet either. Any chance you still have the pattern and could post it?

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  6. Hi, I have the same request as Lynn. The links to Ravelry don't work and I've been drooling over your sweaters. Is there any chance I could have a copy as well? Your sweaters are lovely and sadly this makes me want the pattern even more :)

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    1. No problem! Glad to help. Just send me and email. :)

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