Well, I wrote up the pattern for my Boxing Day jumper, and with hard work from all the team (Mel (test knitting) Tom (photography and layout) and Rachel and Jemima (tech editing) we’ve released it today! Thanks, everyone!
I’ve named it Carbeth after our local loch where Tom took these extraordinary photos.
The pattern is now available to download on Ravelry, and we also have kits in the shop in seven colours. West Highland Way club subscribers receive a 50% discount on the pattern – so check your inboxes for the voucher code!
One thing I wanted to mention about this design is what a straightforward knit it is – Carbeth is a great beginner sweater. There’s just stockinette and a little rib – if you can knit in the round you can make it. Calling all new knitters! Why not give Carbeth a go?
I’m now on my fourth sample knit of this sweater, and am currently experimenting with a marl, created by holding the squall and haar shades of Buachaille together (I do enjoy working with the the natural shades!) I’m certainly enjoying knitting and wearing my Carbeth sweaters, and think I might stop after four . . . but who knows?
Happy knitting, everyone!
KDD & Co 
is it truly a given that the carbeth design will not be flattering to a curvy/busty shape?
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not at all! Have you seen how many curvy women have made this design – and look fantastic in it?
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i did some looking around and yes, indeed, i found a bunch of nice photos of curvy women looking great in Carbeth. but don’t worry, i was going to make the sweater anyway! just waiting for yarn! thank you, kate, and i REALLY want to visit scotland after seeing all the lovely photos and such.
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Hello Kate
I’ve fallen in love with Carbeth and have downloaded your pattern – itchy fingers waiting to get started. However … my only experience of knitting in the round is socks – on 5 x 2.5mm DPNs! Have never mastered the circular needle thing for tiny needles and small circumferences as they made my hands ache so, quite frankly, I’m at a bit of a loss as to ‘appropriate length of needle’ for the various parts of the sweater. I’ll be knitting the first size, so could you tell me what lengths of needles would be appropriate, please?
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I’d use 60-80cm for the body, Sue; a long 100cm needle for the yoke – and you could knit the sleeves on dpns or with a longer (100cm) circular needle using the magic loop method.
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Dear Kate. I love your blog and your inspiring patterns and wonderful photos.I have knitted from childhood but never in the round.I recently became partially sighted,suddenly over night at first they suspected a stroke but no it was a bleed behind my eyes.So you have inspired me not to give up but to attempt Carbeth.Watch this space.and thanks.
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Keep on keeping on, Patricia, and happy knitting x
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Hi
I’m working the sleeves. Do I work in 2×2 rib stitch for 20 rounds? 2×2 rib stitch all the way around? I don’t see that in the picture.
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Pattern support is available by emailing info@katedaviesdesigns.com
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4 friends are all knitting this beautiful sweater in our own mini knitalong. I’m wondering how many needle sizes down from the gauge needle do you recommend for the ribbing.
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just one size, Mary – so if your gauge-size needle is 6.5mm I’d go down to 6mm
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What a lovely sweater, it would be a nice addition to the nursing mother’s wardrobe. Hard to find stylish clothes for new mothers. I will definitely make one for myself.
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I’ve just downloaded this. As a person of petite stature, the short boxy shape will suit me very well.
I just wanted to say I like your blog so much I’ve recommended you for the Liebster Award!
https://planet-dom.com/2018/01/10/the-liebster-award/
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Beautiful Pictures!
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I’ve just returned to knitting after a very long absence, (40 years!) so class myself as a beginner. So much has changed! Giant balls of wool, self striping colours, circular knitting needles. I’ve not knitted in the round before, but love your pattern so much I’ll give it a try!
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Great sweater! It looks fantastic, and yes, I, too, love your skirt/kilt.
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Just checked, and the EZ book with the Hurry Up sweater was the Knitter’s Almanac. I still have my copy from 1981.
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Thanks for getting this out so promptly. It seems to be built on the same principle as Elizabeth Zimmermann’s “Hurry Up Sweater” from her first version of the “Knitting Workshop”. I’ll be trying this out with Cascade’s Eco on 6.5mm needles. I’m afraid the cost of shipping your beautiful wool is prohibitive for those of us coping with the Canadian dollar.
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well, it is and it isn’t. . . the shaping / ratio of the EZ construction you mention is rather different and results in a totally different shoulder / neck. Both are, however, modified raglans. Feel free to improvise!
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Interesting. I was thinking about this sweater but with the neck ribbing starting higher up – my vision is like a compromise between the two with a ribbed neck that is higher than the EZ and more standing than the KD. I’m bustier than you are Kate and always have to adapt in my mind how your designs might look on me (in this case, with appropriate ease in the bust, more excess at the waist – but I still think it would be AWESOME. It’s a great design. Perfect with high-waist pants or skirts. Thanks for the photo with the lifted sweater to show the fabulous draped section of the skirt!
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Thank you for the speedy delivery of this beautiful pattern. Love the length. I don’t look my best in the tunic styles that are so popular. Would love to purchase the Buachaille yarn, but my New Year’s resolution is to knit to from my stash. (We shall see how long this lasts). To Tom: as a photographer myself, I so admire your work. Your eye for the quality of the light is extraordinary.
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Love it! thank you for the beautiful pattern, which has tempted me to try my very first sweater. It may take a while, but I am determined to do this, even though the project list is getting pretty long!
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What a lovely sweater! It looks so stylish with your kilt!
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Your design is beautiful! I have a 30″ bust measurement (both at the fullest point and underneath) and a waist maybe around 25.5″ and a VERY long torso and neck (but I’m not quite 5’3″ tall…short legs!). The style might look nice on me except for the boxy fit at the waist,. The color you’re wearing is one of my favorites. The knitting would be much more accessible to me than would your finer-gauge, more complex projects. I’m gathering that I’m one size smaller than the smallest size offered. Are there any modifications you can recommend? I know that 5″ of ease, on me, is too much, so 6.5″ of ease would be excessive.
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Hi Lynn, I honestly think you will be fine with the ease amount in the first size – your proportions (width wise at least) are fairly similar to mine. The key to this sweater fitting well is to not be afraid of positive ease at the bust / waist . . . its hard to explain without going into proportions / ratios – but while the lower body is intentionally wide / oversized, the upper body will fit you just fine. I’d just knit the first size to a longer length to suit you.
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Fantastic!! On my needles soon and will use my handspun.
Thanks so much!!
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Thank you so much for the speedy pattern release. Can’t wait to make this great design. Just frogged a sweater in chunky yarn, so I will try the pattern with that first. This could be habit forming.
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Come on! This is PERFECT TIMING for me—
knitting in style! thanks to you + MeL
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
teri
Oregon
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
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Thanks, Kate! This lovely pattern is now in my Rav library and in the WHW folder on my computer. Next up is deciding which yarn I want. This post made me laugh when I read this: “…think I might stop after four…” — it immediately reminded me of your post some years back in which you pondered the same sort of thing about pom poms! Happy New Year to you and your stellar crew!
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Love the style of this sweater! My knitting skills have only advanced to scarves and dishcloths!
I admit it. But I love your blog Kate, having been introduced to it through a friend who is an ace knitter. She introduced me for two reasons, my husband suffered a stroke and he is of Scottish decent: Isle of Skye & Stornoway and he adores Oban Scotch!
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Oh no – I knew this would happen. it will be on my needles very soon in Moonlicht Nicht. I can’ wait. bx
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Lovely color choice!
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Thank you for getting pattern out so fast-downloaded it and it looks like a quick knit!
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Wow that was quick!! Thank you so much! I thought you were taking a rest for a few days! 😊 Anyway I have some chunky wool left over from another project but I need to finish Keith Moon first
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Love, love, love this sweater… it’s in my Ravelry favs … Thanks for making this a really “Happy Friday”
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Hi Kate, I’ve just discovered your blog through a friend who knits (I do not, but love color and texture .. and also love Scotland where I have hiked many times) Thanks for all the great photography and creativity! I’m looking forward to reading more (and past posts as well) All the best, Leslie from New Mexico.
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Adorable, Kate! I’ve added it to my Ravelry favs.
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It is a wonderful design and I look forward to making it. The pattern has been purchased and I have pleeeeenty of Buachaille (ahem…) and will be attempting a marled version, too. It would be lovely to see yours. There is of course the West Highland Way Club plus I am joning the walking plus the design competition. Well, I can walk and knit, so it should work out!
Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Joanne
x
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Late, what size are you wearing in the photo?
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it’s the first size (36.5 in) with 5 in positive ease
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Hi Kate, just to clarify your pattern sizing…is 36.5″ designed for someone with that bust size, i.e., if you’re 36.5″ and knit that size it will have 5″ ease built in, and 41.5″ finished size? Or rather, is 36.5″ the finished size, designed for someone who is a 31.5″ bust. Different designers seem to do this differently, so thought I’d better ask. Thanks!
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Hi Susan if you look on the Ravelry pattern page or the shop page you’ll see all the measurements and a note about ease — 36.5 is the actual finished circumference and I am wearing it with 5 in ease.
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OMG, you are tiny! No wonder it looks so great on you!
I’m 34, and 40″ seems so big for me! If I were taller I could carry it off better!
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40 should work great for you Susan – I know it seems like a lot of ease at the bust, but the garment hangs well and can be worn with layers underneath while the other proportions (yoke depth etc) are totally proportionate for someone who is a 34…
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I love this design. How easy would it be to make this longer? Thank you!
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very simple Dawn – just knit the body as long as you need it (factoring in more yarn if necessary)
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Oh no, I had promised myself not to start anything else until I had finished current projects……That promise is not likely to survive I suspect….
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Adorable on Kate’s petite and shapely figure! And that skirt is amazing! Looking forward to seeing more examples on Ravelry/Instagram soon. Couldn’t resist the pattern and thanks for the great deal.
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Thank you, you are amazing! I saw the photos of your Boxing Day jumper and fell in love with it yesterday and today the pattern is available!! Thank you…. Think it will jump to the front of my knitting q 😀
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It looks great the way you style it and what a fast release!
Unfortunately I can’t see the clever construction working for the bustier among us, regardless of length 😳 (I am also not tall but not as small-built as you and Mel!)
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I agree that it looks great on someone of Kate and Mel’s body design but those of us of a larger disposition and certainly those of us with larger frontal projections would not suit this style. I can still admire it though – well done! How do you fit in time to walk Bruce with all that knitting?
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Perfect knit for my cousins in Ontario, Canada, they can use a warm over-jumper in the freezecold overthere.
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Wow, that was a very speedy bit of pattern release – and I have very speedily purchased it too! I am planning to make it longer in the body but I just love the shaping! Thank you to everyone involved!
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Suelphck@gmail.com
Thank you for this lovely design have bought the pattern and can’t wait to get knitting
Sue
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Stunning 💗
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Brilliant!!
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It’s a beautiful jumper but I also love the skirt- perhaps it’s time for me to get back into a winter skirt!
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Amazing …. thank you , can’t wait to start clicking my needles .
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Oh Wow! I am impressed by your efficiency! Even though it is mid-summer here, I think I will cast one on right away! I guess that the hope is that some of that unbelieveable beauty of Carbeth will filter through the knitting into our drought-parched land and bring some magical relief as we head towards our autumn and winter when I can wear mine! Thanks to all involved for the hard work to release this so soon.
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I’m looking forward to knitting this, but perhaps slightly longer. At present it is 40 degrees C where we are, and I’m knitting socks and shawls, because anything else is waaaaay too hot. I think Carbeth will be wonderful for a Tasmanian winter though!
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