HB2 Sweater – Finished!

I feel like I can mark something off my bucket list, I knit a sweater for myself that fits and that I will actually wear!

The sleeves might be a touch long, but I like everything else about it. It is the type of thing I’ll wear all the time. I love the fact that it isn’t too bulky, but it is still warm because it is wool.

I had a little bit of a hard time choosing buttons, but in the end went with the middle ones that blended in. I wanted the cables at the raglan to be the main focus not the buttons.

Here are the details:
Pattern: HB2 by Halla Ben. The pattern isn’t listed on Ravelry, but it appears to be the cardigan version of HB 01A. I purchased the pattern in Iceland.

Pattern Review: I found a few problems with the pattern once I got to the raglan. The numbers for setting up the decreases didn’t work for the XL size. Then the math didn’t add up; no matter how you do it, 179 minus 8 will never end up with an even number. It was easy to figure out what to do instead though. I also did the raglan for longer than called for; working until there were just two stitches left at the shoulder between the cables.

Though there was a lot of stockinette knitting, this seemed to knit up pretty quickly. I feel like it is a pattern I will adapt and use again with different yarns.

Yarn: Einrúm e+2 Icelandic wool plied with Thai silk. I used 5 balls for the XL size. I am not sure stores in the States carry this yarn, but you can buy it online here (They also sell the pattern.).

Yarn Review: This feels a little like Einband but a little less spun, I would call it a fingering weight. The silk gives it a beautiful shine. Like Einband, blocking made all the difference in how the finished project looked. The yarn bloomed and the stitches evened out beautifully. It did grow a little length-wise. The question I got asked the most when I was wearing it this weekend was, “Does it itch like most Icelandic wool?” The woman at the shop told me it would, but I wore this all day Saturday with a t-shirt underneath and it didn’t itch at all. I was shocked as I am pretty sensitive.