Finished Bust: 35.25, 40, 43.5, 47.75, 51.75, 56, 60.25, 64.25” / 89.5, 101.5, 110.5, 121, 131.5, 142, 153, 163.5 cm

Yardage:

Bracelet Sleeve version:
MC: 675, 775, 850, 950, 1050, 1150, 1275, 1425 yards / 620, 710, 780, 870, 960, 1050, 1160, 1300 meters

CC: 400, 450, 500, 550, 625, 675, 750, 850 yards / 370, 410, 460, 500, 570, 620, 690, 780 meters

For short sleeve version approximately 200, 225, 225, 250, 250, 275, 300, 325 yards / 180, 200, 200, 220, 220, 250, 280, 300 meters less MC

Techniques: flat and circular knitting, Stranded colorwork, Shortrows, German Twisted cast on, picking up stitches

Construction Notes: Sweater is worked flat from the bottom up. Front and back are knit flat, joined at the shoulders with a 3 needle bind off, then seamed at the sides. Sleeves and neckline are picked up and knit in the round.

Precautionarily isolating, I hadn’t seen anyone other than my children in 2 weeks. On a cold, late January night, there was a tap on the door. “Come look at the stars, they’re beautiful!” Fully masked, his voice muffled out through the windowpane of our entry. Stifling a squeal upon seeing him, I scrambled to throw on some layers. Typical, his spontaneous moments always had an element of fun and an element of romance- though he’d deny that intention.

Outside, the stars were bright and clear in the sharp night air. We kept distance in the yard because he’d been exposed to Covid at work.

Overhead, the whole milky way was flung across the sky. It looked as if God’s paintstrokes glittered and glowed in the crisp air. I smiled to see him- and then my best friend stepped out from behind my car. Assuming it was an intervention because I’d been struggling with feeling depressed, I began to reassure them.

Everything stopped, however, when he said “Alicia, I’m going to be okay. I need you to know that.”

Immediately I knew. I knew he’d tested positive, and my legs lost their strength. On my way down to the ground my best friend caught me and held me tightly as I sobbed. Unexpected losses had seared scars into me earlier in life, and so my fear of loss was vivid. He’d known this, and called my best friend so someone could hold me.

Then he said to me “This isn’t how I wanted to do this, Alicia. And I don’t want you to feel obligated, but these last two years with you have been the best two years of my life. I’d be crazy not to do everything in my power to get better to be with you. Will you marry me?”

I sobbed yes repeatedly, clinging to the golden thread of hope laced and plied around the strand of fear.

This is my engagement story- he did have Covid, and he did get better. We are going to elope this fall, and Starry Night is a sweater that is full of both beauty and challenge, much like those cold moments in January.