As soon as I saw the back details on this knit tee, I knew I wanted to try it! I was thankful to be part of the group to test this sweater pattern and learned a lot through the process – with some small struggles along the way. I really enjoy test knitting patterns because it gives me the chance to work on the same project with other knitters and having a deadline that I’m working towards means I actually finish the project, ha!
The Pattern
This is the Miles Tee – another beautifully designed pattern by Ozetta. The pattern uses a lot of the same techniques from the Miles Shirt Jacket (which I’ve also made) but also has that pretty eyelet detail at the back that I was curious to try. I knew that I would be familiar with most of the techniques – like German short rows to shape the back and curved hem – but I was little nervous about using fingering weight yarn (my first sweater project in that yarn weight!). It all turned out fine but it just took me a lot longer to finish. The trickiest part for me was the folded collar, even though I have done this technique before, but it was more finicky for me with the tiny needles I was using.
I have a very loose knitting tension and even though I met gauge width-wise I was still off length-wise which is very common for me. I think this is why I was so close to running out of yarn even though I purchased extra! The pattern includes length measurements as well as row counts for the steps, so I just followed the measurements, otherwise everything would be longer and I definitely would have run out of yarn. Next time I would knit the sleeves slightly shorter just for personal preference, but I think the overall length is perfect for me.
In order for the curved hem to lay correctly it needs to be wet blocked, which is a good thing to do with hand knits anyway. I think it’s so cool to see the difference that blocking makes in a hand knit garment – it really makes it feel more professionally made!
Yarn Used
As mentioned before, the Miles Tee pattern calls for fingering weight yarn and I decided to go with Brooklyn Tweed Loft in the color way Woodsmoke. I purchased it online from Tea Cozy Yarn but you can also get it straight from Brooklyn Tweed’s website.
One issue I did have with this yarn is the color is nothing like what is pictured online. I was hoping for a light creamy neutral shade like it shows up on the screen, but it is definitely more of a medium gray which I think my pictures depict more realistically. I love the tweedy texture and it’s gently woolen-spun yarn which creates an airy knit fabric and blooms nicely when blocked.
Needles Used
The pattern recommends needle sizes 3.5mm/US 4 and 3.25/US 3 (in 16″ and 32-40″) but in order to meet gauge with the yarn I used, I had to go down to a size 2.75mm/US 2 for the main needles and 2.25mm/US 1 for the hem, collar and cuffs. The only other time I’ve used that size is when knitting socks!
I ended up having to purchase circular needles for this project because I didn’t have that small size in my interchangeable needle set. I really like Takumi bamboo circular needles so I went with these in the sizes and lengths I needed. I prefer using double pointed needles on the sleeves of my sweater projects so I didn’t need the 16″ length for the sleeves but I did use it for the collar.
Wearing the Miles Tee
I’m excited for it to get a little cooler so that I can start to wear this tee more! Here are a few ways I styled it with other clothes from my closet:
This is such a classic tee design that I can see becoming a staple in my closet and great transitional piece into the cooler months. I’m already thinking I need to knit another, maybe in an off-white or a copper red for fall!
Thanks for reading, and happy knitting!
