Spring in Albuquerque is one of my favorite times of year. The days start out cool but warm up quickly, and the skies are almost always clear and blue. Trees start to bud, flowers pop up, and everything feels more alive after winter. It’s the perfect season to be outside, walking through neighborhoods, visiting farmers markets, or spending time in Old Town. The weather makes it easy to wear my handknits too, like my new Riddari sweater, which was comfortable for a spring day out.
The Riddari sweater is a classic knitting pattern. With thousands of projects and color combos to visualize on Ravelry, I see why it’s become a popular knit. The pattern is written as a bottom-up design. Personally, I’ve never liked working the body and sleeves first, saving the yoke (the best part) for last. So I decided to rewrite it to be knit top-down instead. This was the first time I rewrote a pattern backwards! I struggled at times to interpret the chart backwards, but SO worth it. The yoke is satisfying to knit with small repeats of colorwork, and neckline is simple with a smooth edge. It was fun to make this Lopapeysa style design while also learning to change the construction myself. The yarn selection was done by my boyfriend, he visited Mooncat fiber while in Taos. By his account he told them “she likes worsted” and came home with some amazing finds. For the main color A I used a Pink Adobe Dyeworks yarn in color Wheeler Peak. For Color B I used Malabrigo Rios in English Rose, Color C is a Ziawoolz blend, and Color D is Malabrigo Rios in Sunset.
Partway through the body, I realized I was going to run out of my main color. The original yarn was from Mooncat Fiber, but the base color was actually dyed by Pink Adobe Dyeworks. They’re an independent yarn dyer based out of Nevada. I reached out to the dyer, and she couldn’t have been nicer. She offered to dye a new batch just for me and made sure it matched as close as possible. When the yarn arrived, not only was it beautiful and spot on, but she had also included the cutest little New Mexico-themed stitch marker. It was a thoughtful touch and made the whole experience feel really special.
On one of these spring mornings, we decided to take a walk through Old Town Albuquerque, one of our favorite spots to visit. We stopped by the Tiny Grocer for a coffee and browsed a few shops, including a little bookstore and a pottery shop. I always enjoy the mix of old buildings and local spots.
It was a great way to spend the day in Old Town while wearing my new Riddari sweater. Knitting this sweater was a journey, from the color choices to the slight hiccup with the yarn, but in the end, it turned out to be a piece I’m truly proud of. I can’t wait to wear it again as the seasons change. Thanks for following along with my little knitting adventure, I hope it inspires you to take a walk, pick up your needles, and create something beautiful of your own!
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