Finally off my needles, I have finished Andrea Mowry’s Nebula pullover. This sweater is sure to be a favorite in my wardrobe. It’s very similar to Andrea’s very popular Weekender sweater, featuring a boxy shape and a ribbed drop shoulder construction. Where it differs is the drop hem, created using short rows, and the crew neck shaping instead of a boatneck. As mentioned in my previous post, I did do some modifications, but overall, this is a wonderfully written pattern that I think could very easily be knit by an adventurous beginner knitter.

In the pattern, the recommended ease is 10-24 inches. I love an oversized sweater but 24 inches seemed too extreme for my body. I decided on 12 inches of positive ease but i could have comfortably gone down to 6 inches and would’ve been equally as happy. As I was knitting the body, I decided to add an extra 1.5 inches to the length, and I regret that. Cloudborn Alpaca Wool Silk was a great choice for this pattern because of its drape and buttery softness but i underestimated just how much it would grow. Now it’s a bit longer than I wanted. Sometimes I think I know better than the designer and I’m proven wrong often. I need to learn to trust the process and follow the instructions.

Another modification I made was making decreases in the sleeves. This was actually a good choice for my personal taste. I find that a tapered sleeve with tight cuffs work better for me and are more practical at work when i need to push my sleeves up to get them out of the way. I decreased every 6 rows down the length of the sleeve and then k2, k2tog before switching to the ribbing.

I also modified the crew neckline by continuing with the ribbing to create a turtleneck. I question whether i should have made it wider and longer so it would have more of a chunky cowl neck but I thought that might make me too hot. I do have almost one whole skein left so I might knit up a matching cowl just so I can have that option on colder days.

Overall, this is a beautiful sweater and I highly recommend Andrea Mowry’s pattern. She does a great job of walking you through the construction and includes helpful links to tutorials from her YouTube page.

Now that that’s off my needles, I have been thinking about what my next sweater should be. This winter I’ve realized that I’m lacking some basic pieces in my wardrobe. This might sound boring but I might cast on a basic black raglan. I know I would get so much use out of it even though it’s not the most exciting thing to show off. I’m also needing more cardigans which would be perfect for transitioning seasons but that can wait a little bit longer. Hopefully next week I can share a shawl that is about to be cast off but the i-cord edging is taking forever. In the meantime, I hope you’re all cozy and finding time for some knitting or other crafting in this late winter.