Sep 11, 20202 min read

Golden Assam

During the test knit for Matcha Latte I got quite a few requests for a sweater version of the design. Initially I filed those requests in the some day pile but then thought why not?

Kässäkerho Pom Pom Suoma Single in the colorway Lokakuu.

Before I'd even made the conscious decision of going ahead with the pullover version, I'd already started to fantasize about the color I'd use for the sweater. Merel, one of my test knitters, was knitting her Matcha Latte in Kässäkerho Pom Pom Suoma Single (single-ply 100% non-superwash wool) in the colorway Lokakuu ('October') and I fell in love with it. This was the the perfect color for a fall pullover!

And this lead to the conundrum of naming the pattern. With a rusty brown color I couldn't just call it Matcha Latte Pullover, could I? (Besides, that name was already taken.) Another peek in the tea cupboard and I chanced upon a strong and hearty tea variety that's got a rich brownish red color when brewed: Golden Assam.

Golden Assam is a top-down, fingering-weight sweater that's worked as a hybrid of a round yoke and raglan sleeve construction. This gives the flexibility of using a round-yoke construction with the added benefit of fine tuning the fit and stitch count with additional raglan increases. Most of the yoke increases are done within the organic, fern-like lace motif. This is followed by a short raglan increase section before separating body and sleeves. Short-row shaping is used to add more length to the back yoke, improving the fit of the garment on the upper body.

In addition to the lace yoke, a smaller excerpt of the lace pattern is featured as lace details on the cuffs. The deep, ribbed hem, cuffs, and neckband are all done in 1x1 twisted ribbing. And because the pullover is knit in the round, you don't have to deal with those pesky P1 tbls!

Cropped hems are en vogue this fall and Golden Assam follows the trend. The length of the sweater is perfect for wearing it with skirts or over dresses. To be honest, I felt a little awkward wearing it at first but I've grown to love it! But if you so wish, it's easy to customize the length to your liking. In fact, a few of my test knitters added a couple of inches to the hem just before ribbing.

Golden Assam comes in nine sizes to fit a bust circumference of 75 (85, 95, 105, 115) [125, 135, 145, 155] cm or 30 (34, 38, 42, 46) [50, 54, 58, 62]". The pullover is designed to have a comfy and relaxed fit, intended to be worn with approx. 2.5–7.5 cm or 1–3" of positive ease. To knit the sweater you need approx. 850–1850 m or 950–2000 yd of fingering-weight yarn.

The pattern is written with both metric and US terminology. Both charted and row-by-row written instructions are given for the lace patterns.

Golden Assam is now available on Ravelry (seizure warning!), Payhip, and LoveCrafts. And here's a little coupon code for you: get 15% off the pattern with the code ANOTHERCUPPA until the end of September 2020. The coupon works both in my Ravelry and Payhip stores.