Worsted Weight Sweaters

Week Three: Rhys and Brewster

This week, I’ll continue celebrating Hudson + West with two worsted weight sweaters, Brewster and Rhys. See how they exploit the lustrous, real-wool qualities of Forge for its stitch definition and sophisticated color range?

A couple of years ago, I started a journey with a truly innovative new yarn company Hudson+West. “Designer-driven and knitter-focused” is their mantra and they’ve true to these words. In the nearly three years that followed, I’ve stretched and grown, challenged my skill set and produced some of my very best work. I did not do this alone! During the month of April, I’ll be celebrating Hudson+West, the exciting creative road we’ve been on and the rewarding work we’ve done together since that first email back in August of 2019. Every Friday of this month, I’ll be featuring one special collaboration and celebrating with a 30% discount. You’ll find the Ravelry link and coupon code in the side bar.

Fabulous Forge

Then, there’s Forge, the worsted weight gem from Hudson+West. Since the brand began, I’ve been obsessed with this yarn. Sourced, spun and dyed in the US, Forge is made from a heathered blend of 70% U.S. Merino (sourced in Colorado and New Mexico), and 30% U.S. Corriedale (sourced in New York) wool. Forge is a round, well-balanced three-ply yarn. You can view the Color Guide Book HERE.

Forge is truly the perfect balance in a between softness and durability and is available in gorgeous, carefully curated shades. I feel a little quiver every time new colors are announced, and I’m always beyond happy to be working with their sophisticated shades.

RHYS

The first of these grand worsted weight sweaters is Rhys. Scale and contrast are the highlights of this pullover, with its strong, graphic patterning and bold two-shade color work. A tonal shift mid-way through the stranded color work yoke swaps light and dark creating drama and energy.

Super modern, super cozy, super fun to make + wear! Cheryl Toy’s Rhys knocks it out of the park with its swoncho shape, bold + modern yoke motif, and overall cozy feel. This pullover is work-from-home and weekend lounging ready. Made seamlessly from the top down, Rhys is knitter-friendly and delivers “one more row” syndrome from cast on to bind off!

Between Rhys and Glenwood (H+W Spring 2020), you may notice a deepening fondness for the dolman line. With Rhys, I particularly enjoyed the “swancho” style because of the blank canvas quality of the extended yoke. Deeper patterns with larger motifs are suddenly possible in an elbow-length area as opposed to one that ends at the underarm.

BREWSTER

A snuggly, warm cabled cardigan just in time for the big cold! Brewster by Cheryl Toy is made for anyone who enjoys wrapping up in cables and shawl collars for the winter months ahead. This seamless cardigan is worked from the bottom up with clever button band and pocket construction. Brewster makes a statement in our new-for-fall 2020 mustard colorway, showing off the bands of vertical, textured cables.

Brewster, my very first published menswear piece, was inspired by Sloane’s hometown of San Francisco and the rugged terrain of Northern California. I wanted to express the off-hand, effortless chic of that city with a retro-inspired cardigan true to its American roots. There is something so hip and vintage about garter-textured cables in a worsted weight sweater. Homespun garter stitch and retro cables combine to create deep texture and movement. Brewster features two-stitch cables filled with garter stitch floating in relief on a background of reverse stockinette.

This cool, modern take on your Dad’s go-to cardigan features a lush shawl collar and deeply ribbed front bands. It starts at the bottom and works its way upward, incorporating knitted-in pockets on the way. Brewster begins with an optional tubular cast on and uses the incredibly useful one-row buttonhole.