Unpublished Designs and Sweet Summer Memories
This summer, while my hands are more often on a keyboard than wrapped around knitting needles, I’ve found myself drifting back to old projects—opening a quiet drawer of sweet knitted memories.
As part of my IT training, I’m deep in lines of code and new logic every day. But tucked away in my mind (and in my photo library) are four designs I once made for my daughter. They were created with so much heart and joy, worn often, loved deeply—and yet, never turned into published patterns. These are unpublished pieces—full of color, texture, and love. They’re waiting patiently, maybe for their chance to become patterns. But for now, I’m sharing them as they are: just stories. Just stitches. Just summer. 🌼
Here’s the first — Mix pullover
The pullover I’m sharing today holds a very special place in my heart: it was one of my very first garment designs, made back in 2014. My daughter, then just 4 years old, modeled it with the kind of joy only a small child in something mama-made can bring.
About the design
The sweater is worked bottom-up and seamlessly in the round, featuring a ballet neckline, 3/4 dolman sleeves, and a dropped shoulder for a relaxed, playful fit. To gently shape the shoulders, I used short rows in Garter Stitch, keeping the construction light and smooth.
One of my favorite parts? The playful mix of colored and textured stripes, worked with care so that each transition stayed clean and uninterrupted.
Jogless Stripes—or Garter Ridges—in the Round
As you know, when working in the round, color changes can leave that little “jog” where the new round begins—and I really wanted to avoid that break in the rhythm of the fabric. So I used one of my go-to tricks to smooth things out.
💡 Here’s how I do it:
- When switching to a new color, I knit the first round as usual.
- At the start of the second round, I reach down and lift the right leg of the stitch from the round below (in the old color), then knit it together with the first stitch of the round in the new color.
It’s a simple technique that gently disguises the color jump—and it works beautifully for garter ridges in the round, too. Same method, same effect: no visible jog, just soft, seamless transitions that let the texture and color shine.
Another little detail I love — the exposed shoulder seam, worked with a three-needle bind-off in a contrast color. A line, a little structure, a touch of definition. It gave the sweater a bit of structure, yes, but also a nice visual edge that I really liked. It felt modern, a little playful, and not too perfect (which suits me just fine!).
I wanted to echo the shoulder detail and balance out the boldness of the stripes—especially where the direction of the texture changed—so I added two decorative side seams on the bodice.
These weren’t functional at all, I added two afterthought lines vertically down the body with a crochet hook, aligning them with the stripe direction for added visual rhythm.
✂️ If you’re curious to try this — knit vertical stripes.
The result is a raised, clean line of stitches that mimics a seam without any actual seaming involved. No need to pre-plan with a purl column—this trick works beautifully on plain stockinette.
The yarn I used was the Coast Uld Bomuld by Holstgarn, a soft and breathable blend of 55% merino wool and 45% cotton — I held it double throughout for a slightly denser fabric—light, airy, and ideal for transitional knits.
That’s the first of a few sweet knits I’ll be sharing from the archives this summer.
Thanks for reading 💛
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