Gesture Sweater. Alpaca Heaven.

Jun 5

Written By

Happy Sunday!

If you remember several months ago I had a chance to work with 100% baby alpaca skein, when I did a yarn swap with a dear knitting friend Pat. I mixed it with merino/silk blend to add a gradient effect to my Chunky Seed Stitch cowl. Since then I dreamed of knitting a big cozy sweater with baby alpaca that I would live in! This fiber is just heaven to work with and hold. This little wish unexpectedly came true when a couple of weeks ago We Are Knitters wrote to me and wondered if I would be interested in reviewing one of their kits. I am in love with their blog and Instagram feed (so much inspiration there!!!), so I said yes immediately! I got to choose the kit and, as you know me, a garment knitter, I got straight to Sweaters Kits and disappeared there for a couple of hours. First of all I love how they style their knitwear photoshoots - so fresh, modern and casual! All the sweaters have a relaxed casual fit and are pretty easy to knit. Most of them are suitable for absolute beginners who just want to venture on the sweater knitting journey. Warning: it is extremely addictive, you don't go back :)

As for me, Gesture Sweater won my heart immediately. It has everything I love so much in knitwear. Knit in 100% Baby Alpaca, textured with big cables that I am quiet obsessed with right now, long cozy sleeves and relaxed fit. I couldn't ask for more. Color choice didn't take long - beige baby alpaca, you can never go wrong with cables and neutrals. The kit arrived this week and it felt like Christmas. Aren't the yarn mail days the best?!

It is so exciting to get everything ready for the project in one package! It's been awhile since I knit something following a pattern step-by-step and it feels so nice to just open a bag that has every piece prepared for you. I love all the details. The packaging is very eco-friendly and minimal. The kit includes yarn, pattern booklet, tapestry needle, wooden needles and the cutest thing I have ever seen - your own personal clothes tag to sew at the end as the final step!

Back to the yarn though. This is the most exciting part, right? Baby alpaca is so unbelievably soft that even holding these balls in hands is an amazing tactile experience. It is so silky and woolly at the same time! Wooden needles are definitely the best to knit with, I tried my ADDI clicks and it was way too slippery.

The sweater will have a relaxed oversize look, so the fabric is pretty loose - 16 sts in 10 cm. The sweater is knit in pieces and is to be sewn later. It's been awhile since I knit something flat, except my machine knitting projects. Gesture sweater is marked as an Advanced Kit, but in my opinion an advanced beginner/intermediate knitter who had one-two sweaters knit can absolutely handle this pattern. The cables are super basic, so even if you are new to cabling, you can master them if you watch one YouTube tutorial, for example. The cable instructions are written out, I am very visual and prefer the charts, so I just drew them myself on a piece of paper.

I am so excited to start this project and share the process with you. We Are Knitters were also amazing to prepare a big giveaway for you!!! Let's just say there is a whole bag of big chunky yarn waiting for you at the end of this knitting story! So, I will hurry up :)

Have a great Sunday!