The Scoop on Sunup on 82nd

It started with a sunrise, the kind of sunrise that even the busiest commuter stops to take a picture of - like this one snapped at the bus stop where my husband and daughter used to wait on 82nd every morning. I couldn't stop thinking about the way those clouds looked marching across the sky in tidy little rows - and I knew I wanted to wrap myself in something this plush, this structured, and this airy!

I almost never buy yarn without a plan, but I'd attended Ritual Dyes' open house and had been unable to leave without a few skeins in Rachel's dreamy Libra colorway. I particularly love the way that holding Fae together with Maiden evens out the speckles, the remaining contrast echoes the stark silhouettes of dawn, and the mohair fluffs into a downy halo that still lets the pebbly contrast of the garter stitch shine.

Construction notes:

Sunup is knit from the top down - you start by working flat until you've shaped the neck, then join for working in the round. Set aside stitches for the sleeves and continue the texture down the sides before working short rows to shape the bottom of the sweater and the hem. The sleeves work up quickly in stockinette, and you'll finish by picking up sts for the collar.

You'll work neckline shaping at the same time as raglan shaping - to simplify that, I've included a progress chart. For each row, the chart shows how many stitches you add via raglan shaping, how many you add via neckline shaping, and how many you have at the end. One tester called this 'a frickin Christmas miracle,' and I hope it helps you too!