Swish Worsted Brights is out today! I was able to grab some a bit early and work up this lopi (short for icelandic “Lopapeysa”) sweater for my daughter. I’m so pleased with how the colorwork came out in the bold and bright colors (free pattern here)! But I have a secret to confess about Swish, one of my favorite Knit Picks yarns.
The secret is that before I worked here, I probably would never have ordered it! Though it seems very nice from the product page description, I think it would have gone unnoticed in my internet browsing. Let me tell you, my friends, it should not go unnoticed! I’ve used Swish Worsted for so many projects, and I can’t say enough about how great they’ve turned out. I’m now a fan of Swish, and I’m here to tell you that you should be, too!
I made the “Camilla Babe” sweater from the Madder collection in Swish Worsted (color: Honey). It’s such a great pattern with a stunning result that looks adorable on my daughter’s boxy lil’ frame. My favorite thing about doing it in Swish is that it’s so soft while still being 100% wool! I love knitting with natural fibers, so working with Swish is so nice. It’s bouncy and light to work with (as are the resulting garments) while still being warm, too.
I have such distinct memories of childhood wool sweaters being so insanely itchy. Luckily, my daughter Penny will have no such association. She thinks wool is really cozy, and it’s all due to her wardrobe of sweaters in Swish!
The color palette for Swish is so great that one of my favorite things to do is pick up a store-bought dress and coordinate the colors with a handmade sweater. This is a “Puddle Duck” sweater (Ravelry link to pattern here) made in colorway Sugar Plum. It fit the bill, perfectly!
There are two things I think are extraordinary about Swish. The first is stitch definition. Its lofty bounce makes for stitches that really stand out. I’ve seen garments made from Swish DK that have the prettiest cables you can imagine. The second thing I love about Swish is the way it washes and dries in the machine. It’s truly outstanding. The first time I washed these sweaters, I was holding my breath a bit. If they looked a tad mishapen when they came out of the washing machine, it was only because they were expecting to go in the dryer! When they came out of the dryer, it was like holding the pre-washed sweater again. Wear your handknits made in Swish hard, and launder them harder. You will really be amazed.
Of course, sweaters are not the only things you could make in Swish yarn. Now that Swish Worsted Brights are out, there are pops of color flying through the Knit Picks office. Jenny made this adorable hat, and is generously offering you the free pattern for it here. Made is Swish Worsted in White, featuring Swish Worsted Brights Pucker and Highlighter Yellow, this hat will bring a smile to everyone you see when you wear it.
Stacey used no pattern to make her new hat, using Swish Worsted in Dusk and Swish Worsted Brights in Green Apple. Can you tell she’ll be rooting for the Seattle Seahawks again next year?
I used so many colors of Swish Worsted Brights in my lopi sweater. I just couldn’t help it! It was so much fun to see how they played against each other on a base of Swish Worsted White. Knit with one bright or knit with them all. I think you’ll enjoy it, no matter what.
As has been documented, before I started working at Knit Picks I liked knitting almost exclusively with fingering weight yarn. Swish, as it turns out, is one of the big reasons I now love DK and worsted weights. So, the next time you’re thinking about a project, consider Swish. I’m here to tell you I haven’t encountered such a luxury yarn at such an affordable price. I’m definitely knitting more with Swish, just “for the love” of it!
And if you need some incredible neon inspiration, check out our Neon Pinterest Board!
