I’ve got a fun little project to share with you today: the Geodesic Sweater from Blueprints for Sewing.

This geodesic sweater was a simple project, but really satisfying.  I’ve never turned my hand to quilting, but there was something unexpectedly enjoyable, almost relaxing, about joining all those triangles together …

Some fleeceback jersey goodness

I made my colour blocked Geodesic Sweater out of this gorgeously soft fleeceback jersey from Guthrie & Ghani. I bought the fabric in all three of its colour ways, pink, blue and green. When it arrived, I found that the pink didn’t have quite the same same pastel hue as the blue and green. I was unsure of my original plan of using all three colours together. I also decided, after perusing Geodesic Sweaters on Instagram, that my favourites often had more subtle colour blocking. So I decided to use the pink just as a flash of pocket lining. Luckily I had just enough green to squeeze out a two-tone design, but I promise you, I didn’t even have enough fabric for one more triangle left!

This fabric is so cosy and soft and warm. Perfect for a Geodesic Sweater. The fleeceback feels pretty much like being enveloped in balls of cotton wool.

Geodesic Sweater: the pattern

My Geodesic Sweater is View B, the longer, hip-length version. It’s a size C/D. I was tossing up between the cropped version and this one, as I quite like both. In the end, I chose the longer length because it’s more practical for my wardrobe. Plus, I adore the cute little pockets. This pattern also uses a few of my fave techniques for knit fabrics – finishing with bands and comfy raglan sleeves! All-round cosy goodness!

I found the overall cut to be very flattering and pleasing. If I make it again, I might size up because I prefer my sweaters a little looser for “lazy wear” comfort. Also, as you will see below, this one came out a little smaller than designed due to sewist-error.

Isosceles a-go-go

So, about that error. This pattern is an interesting one to cut. First of all, there were a few things I found a bit odd in the pattern pieces. For example, the sleeves were designed to be cut on the fold but the neck band wasn’t. Since you obviously need two sleeves, I always question the practicality of cutting sleeves on the fold. And, basically, I never do it.

As you can imagine, you do end up cutting out lots of triangles. Your finished pile of the  “cut garment” looks quite different from a typical cut pattern. Almost like a tangram: a bunch of little triangles, with a few rectangles thrown in for good measure. One of the things that I always find “miraculous” about sewing is the way that flat shapes are transformed into 3D garments. That magical feeling is really exacerbated with the Geodesic Sweater. I felt a bit like I was transforming a maths project into a wearable garment!

With so many triangles, you have to concentrate to make sure you get them ALL on-grain. I goofed this up at one point. I managed to cut one pair of half-triangles slightly off-grain. Unfortunately, this small error, actually made a significant difference. It really distorted the shape of my back piece. In the end, I had to cut off the corners of a few triangles to give my back piece the correct shape. This shaving off of centimetres along the back side seam is probably the reason why my geodesic sweater is a tiny bit snugger around the hip than I would prefer.

And break out those colouring pencils…

A few quick construction tips for anyone setting out on their own version. Apart from the neck band and sleeve cuffs, I was able to sew everything on my overlocker, which made for a nice quick project. The other thing I would recommend, if you are colour blocking, is using the line drawing in the instructions booklet to “colour in” your colour block design. There were a few occasions at which I almost muddled myself up as to what colour triangle I needed next and in what direction. A quick glance at my trusty colour-in job was invaluable.

So all in all, I’m a fan of this little number. Not only is it high on the warm and cosy scale,  it was fun and satisfying to put together. Three cheers for clever, fun and unique indie sewing patterns – that’s really what its all about!!