Pattern Review – Anker’s Sweater My Size by PetiteKnit

Hey there! Have you been eyeing the Anker’s Sweater knitting pattern? I’m not surprised because it’s super popular and obviously beautiful! I wanted to share my review + a little bit about the yarn I used for anyone considering making their own. If you have already made a sweater, let me know in a comment and tell me what yarn you used. 🙂

I have a 32″ bust circumference and knitted the size S so it wouldn’t be tight. I’m really happy with the fit and you can customize the length of the body or sleeves if your personal measurements don’t match the pattern.

Yarn

I used Alpaca Cloud DK from KnitPicks in the color “Molesly.” It is 100% baby alpaca and super soft. It is a bit “hairy” which is typical for alpaca fiber, but you can’t see from a distance. The color is a beautiful neutral tan. I ordered 10 skeins and used 7, so approximately 800-850 yards. I ordered based on grams and every yarn is different, so I was happy to end up with extra instead of not enough.

This yarn matched gauge perfectly, and wet blocked amazingly. I’m sure happy with my choice and highly recommend! However, if you are sensitive to wool or itch a lot when wearing it, I don’t think you’d be happy with alpaca.

Additional Materials

You will need a set of stitch markers to knit a sweater, and I also recommend getting some needle stoppers so you can set down your work down or take it on the go. You’ll obviously be knitting this sweater over a fairly long period of time, so you don’t want any stitches to fall off your needles when you’re not knitting.

If you plan on blocking your sweater, you’ll need blocking mats, pins, and a soak wash.

Needles

I used my Foursquare Majestic Options Short Interchangeable Needle Set from KnitPicks. I like using short needles for top down sweaters because the yoke starts out really small. Short sets only come with 16″ cords, though, so you’ll need a longer cord on hand to switch to as your sweater grows, and if you plan on knitting the sleeves with the magic loop method. Luckily you can order extra cords.

For the sleeves, I used 12″ circular needles. I love using circular needles when I can because it makes the sleeves go so much faster, and keeps my tension looking better! This is the pair I used.

Construction

The sweater is a top down yoke with some raglan stitches under the arms. The yoke is ribbed and stretchy, and the body and sleeves are stockinette with ribbed cuffs. This was my first yoke style sweater and I love how quick and fun it was to knit!

Blocking

I wasn’t sure how this yarn would react to wet blocking and I couldn’t find any reviews online, so I knitted a swatch and blocked it first. It dried perfectly so I blocked the entire project and the finished sweater was perfect. It probably could have just been steam blocked, but I am a continental knitter and my ribbing was a bit messy for my taste so I wanted to make it as neat as possible. I’m happy I wet blocked it because it really relaxed the yarn and made the alpaca fiber less itchy, in my opinion.

Review

I have made this sweater in my size, as well as the toddler size for my daughter. I have also made the summer blouse that is the same style. I think it is an excellent pattern for beginner sweater knitters because the stitch pattern is simple and the yoke is quick. The pattern is also well written and explained.

I love how flattering the design is for any body type. I usually just wear a camisole or bralette underneath and it’s very comfortable. It’s a rather thin and lightweight sweater so it’s great for Spring, or layered under a coat in the Winter!

The overall cost with how much yarn I used was $56. I already had the needles and other materials on hand.

Have a question that I didn’t cover? Leave a comment, and thanks for reading!

XO, Kalley

Interested in knitting socks? Check out my blog post covering all my favorite yarn for the best pair of socks!

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