My Experience Knitting the Hannah V-neck

I just finished knitting the Hannah Sweater V-neck by PetiteKnit and wanted to share how it all came together, from the yarn and color I chose to what it was like to knit and how it turned out.

Yarn Choice

For this project I used Cascade 220 Merino, which I already knew I liked from working with it for my Stripes & Solids Sweater. It comes in about a million colors, it's relatively affordable, and I enjoy working with it. 

It has a soft, drapey feel in the finished fabric, which I do think works well with the oversized nature of this pattern. It gives a really relaxed and cozy vibe overall. 

At the same time though, I think the neckline could've benefited from something a bit more structured. If I were to make this again, I'd probably go for something with a little bit more bounce that holds its shape better, rather than something so drapey.

Color Choice

I went with dark violet (44) for this, and I’m honestly obsessed with this color. PetiteKnit's sample version of this sweater is done in a deep maroon, and while I didn’t want to copy that exactly, I do think that deep, jewel-toned color played a big part in what I liked about the pattern in the first place.

I feel like it’s actually kind of hard to come across a purple like this in store-bought sweaters—so much leans more lilac or dusty mauve, and this is just a really deep, bright, clean purple.

I also think a darker color works really well for this pattern. It lets you focus more on the overall shape and lines of the sweater, rather than the individual stitches. The pattern itself is pretty strong, with its thick V neckline and sort of masculine vibe, so I feel like it works best with an equally strong color to carry it.

Knitting Experience 

I really loved working on this sweater. I was making it at the same time as the gloves for Ben, which were a bit more involved, so this ended up being what I'd pick up when I wanted a break. It felt a lot more relaxed and repetitive to work on, and I think my brain kind of started associating it with that feeling, which made it especially nice to come back to.

The shoulder shaping is a really nice feature in this pattern, and the way it’s constructed was a bit different from what I’m used to. It uses increases on both the right side and wrong side instead of short rows, which was just a nice change of pace while knitting.

The neckline was the main thing that drew me to this pattern. I think I expected the V in ribbing to be a lot trickier than it actually is, but once I got into it, it made a lot more sense. 

As always with a PetiteKnit pattern, it was really clear and easy to follow, even when I was doing things for the first time.

Blocking 

This was a bit of a “trust the process” moment. I had a feeling it would look good once everything settled, but I was still a little nervous.

Before blocking:

During Blocking:

Final Thoughts

When I first tried it on, I wasn’t totally sure how I felt about the neckline. It was sticking up on my shoulders where I had pinned the bind-off, which made me think I might have stretched it out a bit too much. I just wasn’t sure if I liked how it looked on me.

My proudest moment with this sweater is definitely the sleeve length, which I absolutely nailed. I tend to go a little too short or a little too long, and these landed exactly where I wanted them.

I let my body heat finish breaking it in by wearing it to work, and it really grew on me throughout the day. By the time I got home, I was actually a little sad to take it off.

Ultimately, the way I feel about it is exactly how I thought I would—it’s really cool and doesn’t look like anything else I own, and I’m really proud of it.