Free Pattern: Valpuri
Photo by Berroco
Nothing particularly eco about this—just a free sweater pattern from Berroco I found particularly comely. (I’m a sucker for cap sleeves.)
In fact, the original yarn the pattern calls for, Bling Bling (nevermind my distaste for that word), sounds quite frightful, made up as it is of 60 percent cotton, 38 percent acrylic, and—get this—2 percent aluminum.
It shouldn’t matter what yarn you use, however, as long as you hit gauge, which, in this case, is:
17 sts = 4”; 24 rows = 4” in St st on size 8 needles and 62 sts = 10”;
24 rows = 4” in charted pat
Any heavy worsted or aran-weight yarn should work, such as Blue Sky Alpaca’s Organic Cotton, or a thinner yarn (some soysilk, perhaps? Or bamboo?), but doubled up.
Dustywheat said,
April 13, 2007 at 9:45 am
That is soo hot. I wonder if aluminum gives it extra body or shine….
carrie said,
April 14, 2007 at 5:35 am
You’re right, aluminum in yarn is a scary thing. What if it contributed to Alzheimers or something? No, I’m being a bit facetious, but still, I don’t think aluminum belongs in yarn. That’s a really pretty pattern, though, and would be a great knit in cotton.
Indigo said,
April 16, 2007 at 12:00 pm
The first thing I thought when I saw that sweater is I want. The second thing was what yarn should I use instead. I can’t believe that example is out of that stuff.