FAQs

Our KAL (knitalong) is free to participate in. The KAL isn’t a formal class, and you don’t have to attend every session. Drop in and out as you like. Come to each session with your materials and be surrounded by others making the same pattern!

During the sessions, Jamie will be on hand to demonstrate techniques and answer questions you have about your pattern.

To join in, sign up using the form below and come to the shop prior to the start date to pick out your yarn and any notions you don’t already have. Amy and Isabel will be in the shop to help you pick your correct size and yarn.

We will meet at Knit B’ham four times for the knitalong around the big table in the hand dyed yarn room from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Wednesdays in August. Attend one, some, or all dates!

Absolutely. You need to feel comfortable knitting and purling prior to time, but if you’re trying something new, the best way to learn a new skill is just to dive in.

We encourage you to stretch yourself, keeping in mind that Jamie may be working with many folks during the KAL. She will happily help you through new skills or unfamiliar techniques (within reason) and our staff is available for questions. Come with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

The Polina Pullover is a stranded colorwork sweater with a large botanical pattern made with circular needles from the top down. It uses German Short Rows (GSRs) for short row shaping to create a better fit.

The pattern also comes with three neck options: ruffled mock (as shown in Teti’s Ravelry sample), double folded and a regular crew neck.

Here is a note on the inspiration of the sweater as written by the designer:

“Polina pullover is inspired by the naive art of Ukrainian self-taught painter, Polina Raiko. Everything in her house — walls, ceilings, doors, and fence — Polina covered in enamel-painted drawings of fantastic birds and flowers, Christian iconography, and the artist’s own interpretations of her dreams and life events.

Unfortunately most of her work is lost due to the flooding of the house after the destruction of Kakhovka dam in June 2023. Sadly, the war keeps destroying the cultural heritage of my homeland. So this is my humble love letter to her.”

Yarn Suggestions

Teti suggests holding a light fingering weight and a fingering weight yarn double to create approximately a sport weight. She also says you can use other fingering/sport weight yarn with a matching gauge.

If you would like to do similar, we suggest:

• Holding Knitting for Olive Merino together with Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Light

  or

• Holding two strands of BSF Woolstok Light

However, sport is a very unusual in-between yarn weight, and Jamie is using a DK for the body of her Polina and a fingering weight for her colorwork. If you would like to try similar, we suggest:

• Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt for the body and either Peer Gynt, Woolstok Light, or Schopelwoole Edition 3 for the colorwork

  or

• Kelbourne Woolens Scout for the body and either the same for the colorwork or Feederbrook Farms Entropy DK
  

If you would like to make a true sport weight version without holding double, we recommend:

• Cascade 220 SWM Sport for the body and either the same yarn for the colorwork, or Schoppelwoole Edition 3.

Yarn Amounts

For Main Color (MC):

923 (1046, 1189) (1333, 1476, 1599) m // 1009 (1144, 1301) (1458, 1615, 1749) yds of any fingering/sport weight yarn with a matching gauge of 24 stitches and 26 rows in 4”.

For Contrast Color (CC): 248 (293, 315) (338, 383, 405) m // 271 (320, 345) (369, 418, 443) yds of any other fingering/sport weight yarn with a matching gauge.

Needles Needed

US 4 (3.5mm) and US 2.5 (3mm) or whatever size needed to attain gauge

Notions Needed

• Spare cables, spare circular needles or scrap yarn to keep sts on hold;

• A few stitch markers, one of which is removable;

• A tapestry needle or a crochet hook to weave in the ends.

Amy and Jamie are ALWAYS happy to help you figure out the size that is right for you! If sizing feels overwhelming, come into the shop and let us help.

The pattern is written for six sizes 1 (2, 3) (4, 5, 6) with a finished bust circumference of ca. 95 (111, 127) (143, 158, 174) cm // 38 (44.25, 50.75) (57, 63.25, 69.75) in incl. at least 10-15 cm (4-6 in) of the recommended positive ease.

• For more of the finished garment measurements, please refer to the schematic (directly below the dropdown menus).