With the holiday season hitting full stride, usually the last thing we think about is what to knit for ourselves. Or at least in theory, but sometimes planning the next project is the carrot on the stick to get us to the finish line. We’re all for a good carrot – how about a New Year, New Sweater KAL?
We haven’t officially announced our next knit-along, but I’m letting you know now that the project is Aidez. Ashley and I will be casting on for this beloved free pattern from Knitbits on Thursday, January 1. Please join us!
There will be more information to come in the Berroco Lovers group on Ravelry, but today I want to talk about yarn options.
Step 1. Choose your yarn and start swatching
The original yarn Peruvia Quick comes in 26 beautiful shades – I love knitting with pure wool almost as much as I love wearing it. Wool is thermoregulating, which means it’s good for keeping you not too warm but just warm enough. The Aidez sweater knit in Peruvia Quick is a fast knit and a proven winner, but it’s not the only choice.
Vintage Chunky is a good choice for knitters concerned about washing and wearing – if you’re knitting your Aidez as a gift for a non-knitter this is a good choice. Vintage has all the benefits of wool plus the advantage of being machine washable.
Inca Tweed is a new yarn this season. The gauge of 14 sts/4″ fits beautifully for the pattern and because it’s thick-and-thin with flecks of tweed, it adds a whole other dimension to the pattern. Aidez knit in this yarn would be a beautiful balance of sophisticated and rustic.
Ultra Alpaca Chunky is my choice for this project. Also introduced for Fall ’14, Chunky is the newest member of the Ultra Alpaca family of yarns. This is a gorgeous 2 ply, 50% wool/ 50% alpaca blend that has all the best features of both fibers. The bouncy resilient wool is perfect for cables, and the alpaca is incredibly warm and a little slinky, so the finished sweater will have a flattering drape not common in chunky knits.
The January 1, the official cast on date is just about 3 weeks away, so there is time to decide on yarns and swatch. I will share thoughts and notes about the pattern here on the Berroco blog and hope you will join in the discussion too! Don’t forget about our Shop LYS promotion – all Berroco yarn purchases made through December 31st are eligible to earn you free single pattern PDFs, so when you buy the yarn for this KAL send us your receipt!
Any chance a men’s sweater pattern could be included in the KAL? I just finished a men’s sweater in Ultra Alpaca and loved the yarn.
I’m loving the new Inca Tweed and considering making the Aidez with it!
How much yarn will I need if I use the Ultra Alpaca chunky?
Depends on what size you’re making- multiply the yardage of Peruvia quick (103 yards) by the number of skeins for your size then divide that number by the yardage of Ultra Alpaca Chunky (131 yards).
I’m very allergic to wool. Is there an alpaca or acrylic alternative?
You can try Comfort Chunky, but as with any yarn substitution, you’ll need to swatch!