First, let me say THANK YOU to everyone who commented or sent me messages about Cher. My husband and I were both overwhelmed by all the love that surrounds her and us. It’s nice knowing the pictures and silly stories I share about her make other people as happy as they make us. We’ve been home monitoring her and she has definitely perked up since getting a shot of meds to reduce the fluid in her lungs…she’s also leaking a bit so we’ve doubled up on our waterproof blankets and she’s been (reluctantly) wearing a diaper. She’s comfy, eating and wagging her tail and as long as she’s doing that, I’m happy. But let’s get back to knitting, shall we?
I’m never a monogamous knitter and usually have several patterns in different stages going at once. I’m currently working on the 10 inches of stockinette body stitches on my Allison cardigan and that’s great for knitting on the Metro but I also like to be a bit more engaged with my projects. I decided to whip up a Trefann sweater using the superbulky Loopy Mango Big Cotton Yarn in the color Phoenix. Since these sweaters are typically written as one size, I added in a couple of extra increase rows and added stitches under the arms when I was separating for the sleeves. I didn’t care if the fit was precise because I wanted it to be a loose summer tee.
For the long sleeve sweater version, the sleeves are full and then taper slightly at the end. I like the look and would totally do this for a wool sweater, but for summer I kept the full sleeve and shortened it because I HATE tight tops around my arms. The yarn was soft when I worked with it and had a great feel while knitting. I know a lot of people feel like cotton is a bit rough on the hands. I washed and dried it on the gentle cycle but took it out while still damp and let it air dry. And when it was dry I had to use my Gleener to really shave all the bits of yarn that pilled off of it.
I tried to give a bit of a close up so you can see the light haze of yarn around it. It doesn’t look ragged but it’s not as clean as I’d like or for as much as the yarn cost. Would I buy this yarn again? Maybe but I’ve also got other cotton yarns in my stash that I want to try as well. But this was great for a quick knit over a 2 day period. Super bulky knits are just so satisfying. I’ll keep you all updated on the wear and tear of this as I plan to wear it all summer. What really matters is how the yarn holds up, regardless of how much you paid for it. Oh and to anyone wondering how Jellybean has been doing through all of Cher’s medical issues?
She is sure to demand hugs whenever she needs them. This tiny wild woman always makes her demands known.
Yards of Happiness 
That red sweater is gorgeous! I really thought that bulky (or super bulky) yarn was relegated to winter sweaters – but I love this short sleeve sweater in the bulky cotton yarn. I LOVE doing sweaters in bulky yarn – go so quickly!
Sorry about your little Cher… our pets become so precious to us.
Love your pants! (And the sweater!)
Gorgeous sweater. I love your honest critiques of yarn. Keep hugging those precious pups. Glad Cher found some relief.
Your sweater is beautiful. Been looking for a summer type pattern. Goes wonderful with your adorable slacks. I hope your baby is well. I have a 13 year old with disc problems in her neck. Sad.
Your big smile and that gorgeous sweater are welcome sights this morning!
Love to your pups.
Love the Cher sweater especially the short sleeves. We had to put our Chub down a couple months ago. We were so sad š. and decided no more animals.
I would like to say your dog stories have warmed my heart , and especially since our dog died in December from cancer. I love seeing their pictures and antics, and it is never fun when they donāt feel well. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you continue on day to day Carpe Diem.
I love your sweater. The color is great. Iām going to have to look into making a cotton sweater for summer.
I just ādiscoveredā your blog…not even attempting to go back and reading it all!
I love your smile, attitude, knots…and your sweet dogs!
As I sit with my elderly cat warming my lap and remember the dogs I had in the past, I know how sad it is to watch them slip away. My solace has always been that every one of my pets is/was a rescue; the life lived with our family brought joy to all.
Best wishes for your lovely sweet family.
That sweater is GOR-geous!!! I LOVE that color, brilliant!
What a great summer sweater! I have never made a super bulky garment, usually slogging my way through fingering weight. Love your dogs. Itās so hard to watch them grow old and develop health issues. They are, after all, family.
The texture is very nice.
I wanted to recommend Lion Brand ZZ Twist. The colors do not run and is intense. This is not cotton and can be splitty but not when fully knitted.
I have made 3 sweaters so far, machine washes, doesnāt pill and has amazing detail:
http://www.lionbrand.com/zz-twist-yarn.html
The texture is very nice.
I wanted to recommend Lion Brand ZZ Twist. The colors do not run and is intense. This is not cotton and can be splitty but not when fully knitted.
I have made 3 sweaters so far, machine washes, doesnāt pill and has amazing detail:
http://www.lionbrand.com/zz-twist-yarn.html
I have just recently discovered your blog and love seeing all your beautiful makes. You are an inspiration
I would love to find a summer yarn that knit up as bulky or super bulky, but was very light, like a tape yarn or one of those netted yarns. Iāve knit a sweater like this, but I find cotton yarn too heavy.
You and that sweater are as cute as you can be. Thanks for the critique of the yarn–I made a pullover that I want to love, but it pills so much I feel like a Sherpa when I wear it. It needs constant shaving, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll want to put up with it. Regarding Cher, I thought I had commented on an earlier post, but I guess I didn’t. I’m sure you will take care of your precious little one in the right way at the right time. Bless you for the care you’ve given her these last years of her life.
That Trefann sweater looked ‘WAY cuter on you than it did on the models I saw on Ravelry.
As an aside, one of my pet peeves when scouting around for prospective patterns is that some of the sample pictures show sweaters in black, dark brown or maroon, posed in a shadowy dark room. How can I evaluate a pattern when I can’t see the construction? Thanks for your bright colors and thanks for sensible lighting for your pictures.
Your sweater looks great! So glad both fur babies are doing OK.
The necklace you chose compliments the sweater so well.i
I think the openness of the pendant really works with the openness of the yoke.
Any update on how well this yarn held up over the summer? Thx!