My Tea Leaves

One look at Amanda Soule's Tea Leaves sweater and I knew that I was going to make one for myself. I just knew it.



I had tried to make a sweater before, but I decided to stop for a couple of reasons. First, I was using very inferior acrylic yarn that I did not like at all. The color was flat and the texture was ugh. Second, since I didn't like the yarn, and the pattern was very plain (just a simple v-neck pullover), I couldn't imagine myself enjoying wearing it. So I decided to stop investing any time or effort on the project and hold out on making a sweater until I found a pattern I really liked, and yarn that I would enjoy knitting with and later on wearing.



So as soon as I saw Amanda's sweater, I clicked on over to MadelineTosh's website and bought the pattern.



Then I had to find the perfect yarn, which I did, at Bad Woman Yarn in Wallingford. After checking out every single yarn they had for sale, I decided on a wool/silk blend made by Plymouth Yarns called Mushishi.



Now, I was determined to make this sweater the right way. I started by making a gauge square, first on the recommended #7 needles, and then on some #9s. Because, who am I kidding? I know I knit rather snugly, and the recommended needle size is always too small for me. Once I figured out that I'd need #9 32" circulars, I headed over to Etsy and found some (also some #8 32" circulars). They arrived a couple days after I ordered them. When I got home, I immediately opened the package, briefly inspected my new needles, and then immediately began knitting my tea leaves.

I was in heaven.

I am still in heaven. The yarn is just dreamy to knit with. It's my first expensive yarn (and yes, this will be the most expensive sweater I own, but it'll be worth it). And by expensive, I mean high-quality, bought-in-an-actual-yarn-shop yarn. Dreamy.