Loading the latest stories…
Start and finish a Pacing Pullover in one sitting, and benefit from the mindfulness this project brings.
Debbie Blair3 min read
In January we shared Madeline Keller King’s pattern for her Pacing Pullover, a sweet little knitted sweater that will fit in the palm of your hand. We acknowledge that stress, lack of energy, or illness takes a toll on our creative time—just when a mindfulness practice could benefit us the most. Madeline developed this pattern to be completed in manageable increments. Read more about her motivation (and her spinning tips) in “Pace Yourself: Spin and Knit a Tiny Sweater,” then get the free pattern to make your own in the Spin Off Library.
We were delighted to hear how some of you tackled this mini mindfulness project. See what clever color combinations our readers came up with, and discover what inspired their own versions of the Pacing Pullover.
Photo courtesy of Erika Zambello
“This is such an easy and lovely project. I ended up adapting the pattern to do on two needles, which was a snap, and did it in a slightly thicker yarn. You really can knit it in one sitting! I’m using this particular sweater on my daughter’s favorite teddy bear.”
Photo courtesy of Nancy White
“I have knit several of these tiny sweaters from scraps left over from other projects. I was thinking of using them as Christmas tree decorations, but I haven’t yet. I’ve made a few modifications based on how much yarn I had. They were knit with yarns containing cotton, wool, cashmere, Merino, stellina, and nylon which were left over from socks, shawls, and even a Yarn Tasting event at one of my LYSs. They reminded me of the doll clothes I made when I was learning to knit as a young child.”
Photo courtesy of Megan Wissler
We got a kick out of Megan’s description of her mini pullover as “a little pick-me-up from shawl hell.”
“I decided to make the pacing pullover as a break from a shawl that was my first project with slip stitches and working stockinette flat. The shawl had become very frustrating and while I wanted to work on something more familiar, I didn't want to start an entire full-size project. This tiny sweater was perfectly rewarding.”
Photo courtesy of Camille Johnson
Check out the detail in this miniature scene created by Camille’s son, Ansel!
“My son made this miniature yarn shop for me, complete with a little sweater sample.”
Look closely and you’ll spot teensy skeins and a ball of yarn, ready to use. An adorable sheep painting, a box of patterns, and a hooked rug round out the scene.
Photo courtesy of Kate Colbow
“Each sweater is a swatch to display my handspun yarns, with each one serving as a reminder of a different spinning project. It’s fun to look back over my collection and see which techniques for color blending or plying I’ve used and how my spinning has developed over time. I’m looking forward to adding to the collection as I continue to spin.”
Photo by Debbie Blair
Madeline’s miniatures looked like so much fun, I couldn’t resist making one myself. Each one is just bite-sized enough that I knew I could make my own version in a weekend. I chose a pastel color and decided to add a few embellishments: a lace trim and beaded neckline. And instead of knitting the full-length sleeves and finishing the cuffs with a k1/p1 ribbing, I altered the sleeves a bit by adding a couple of extra stitches (and stopping a few rows short) for a flared look.
Many thanks to the Spin Off readers for sharing their work with us. We hope they will inspire you to try your own version of Madeline’s Pacing Pullover.
Get the pattern for the Pacing Pullovers in the Spin Off Library.
More from Spin Off
From the Library
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts.
Sign in to join the conversation — commenting is for signed-in members.