McCalls 6992: Tacky Christmas Sweater

My family has been sporting "tacky" Christmas sweaters for years now and I'm not even sure if they are actually tacky or are in fashion now. I think it may be a little of the latter....or at least I'm hoping! Cause I wore this one out in public and will again. I knew that it was okay when my son's girlfriend complimented my sweater...mind you she called it a tacky Christmas sweater but I took it as a name of sorts and not a description of distaste...

I was inspired to make this after seeing a jacket made by a lovely lady I know. She made Vogue 8430 using a boiled wool and then felted the design as was on the pattern sample. It turned out quite nice! I got to thinking about how I could make a sweater out of a camel colored boiled wool I had bought. Then I remembered that Lauren of Lladybird had made a sweater and I reread her post and took into consideration her tips and sought to find the perfect pattern to use.

Since boiled wool doesn't have much give to it, I knew that I needed to choose a loose fitting pattern. I also knew that I wanted a turtleneck to make it cozy. I have been really liking raglan sleeves lately so it should be no surprise that I choose one with raglan sleeves! McCalls 6992 fit the bill, except that it is crew neck...so I got busy drafting a funnel neck and it worked out great.

One of my favorites aspects of this pattern is the shoulder dart. These darts are not often seen but when used with a raglan sleeve, reduces the bulk in the front of the shoulder. I love how well this sweater fits! I also felt that the dart would stabilize the boiled wool as it easily stretches and would do so at the shoulders. 

Here is a close up of the felted reindeer I added...I debated back and forth as to whether or not to add the nose but now I'm glad I did. I had tried my hand at needle felting while taking a tailoring course at our local design school...not exactly part of the tailoring curriculum but it was fun to do and I was given a felting needle to keep! I didn't know at the time that I would ever really use what I learned...

My new sweater was perfect for our family outing to the u-cut for our Christmas tree, a favorite Christmas tradition for me! Roaming around the woods with the family then home for hot chocolate and tree decorating....what could be better?