Let’s go back to 2009. Wow, 15 years ago! I was…let’s see…30 years old and just in the beginning years of my knitting design endeavors (while still working full-time in my advertising career). The year before this I had become so obsessed with learning knitting design and spent most of my free time studying and working on it – studying, practicing, making mistakes, learning some more (it was a long process, that still continues!). At this point I had designed mostly accessories and baby sweaters, but I hadn’t yet published an adult sweater – not until ‘Mud Season’!
Mud Season was my very first adult sweater pattern, originally published in the Spring of 2009. It was a top-down, short-sleeved pullover knit all in one piece. Why is it named Mud Season? That is what we call the the 5th season here in Maine and New England – that period between late Winter & early Spring when the ground thaws and the soil and dirt roads become muddy from all of the melting snow. Since this piece was a short-sleeved pullover with bulky-weight yarn, I felt it made for a great transition piece between seasons. So between that and the yarn color I chose, “Mud Season” seemed the perfect name.
Here are some pictures of the original Mud Season in 2009…
I posted the pattern on the relatively new site (at the time) Ravelry as well as my blog, for free. I wasn’t sure if anyone would actually download it but to my surprise, they did! I was so proud of that design and it inspired me to keep working at my pattern creation skills and create more and more sweaters throughout the years.
The new Mud Season
But after 15 years, it really needed a revamp and had been on my list for quite some time to update. I’ve been slowly working on a new version and I’m happy to tell you it’s now officially here. I kept the overall aesthetic the same and used a similar type of yarn, but the raglan shaping, neckline, fit and size range have all been updated to my current standards. Re-introducing the new Mud Season! Knit up in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky…
I designed this piece so that it had short-sleeves, but not too short – they come down to about your elbows. I think this length looks nice on it’s own or over a longer layer. And it’s a great length for when you want to wear this top as a shell under a jacket or blazer like I’ve done below…
New tips & tutorials for Mud Season
The other important update to this pattern was that I created a tips page for it. If you’re familiar with any of my newer (or revamped) designs, then you already know that I always create a corresponding tips page for it on my website for helpful tips and tutorials. The new Mud Season tips page covers every technique you need to know to make Mud Season, including:
- Picking a size and different yarn ideas to consider
- How to work the “kfb” increase that is used in all of the raglan shaping
- A brand new video lesson about how raglan pullovers are joined to work in the round after neck shaping is complete.
- How to make the sleeves longer, either regular long-sleeves or 3/4-length
Mud Season Preview Knitters
Because the pattern revamp was so dramatic, I had some preview knitters test it out this Winter before re-publishing it. And I just love what they created! One of the things I have always loved about this piece is how it can serve as a blank canvas for knitters – you can use different types of yarn, make the sleeves longer, make the length shorter – so many options. Thank you to all of my test/preview knitters!
Denise
Denise used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky and followed my instructions from my tips page about how to make the sleeves 3/4 length. She is wearing it with 5″ of positive ease.
Nari
Nari used Knit Picks Swish Bulky and is wearing with 6″ of positive ease. Scroll through photos to see how she styled it under a jacket as well.
Rita
Rita triple-stranded stash yarn she had (scroll through images to see the 3 yarns she used -Full Moon Fibres Moon Rock Slub, Full Moon Fibres Solar Sock and Rico Design Creative Make It Tweed). She made the length more cropped and also shortened the sleeves. And she will be wearing it with 4.5″ of positive ease.
Tamiko
Tamiko used Cloudborn Fibers Limited Edition Wool Worsted and followed the pattern as written.
Yes, the pattern is still free
Mud Season has been offered as a free download for 15 years and it remains that way today. It’s a gift from me to you to say thank you for all your support these last 15 years.
Plus, it’s the only adult garment pattern I offer for free and I am keeping it that way because it offers everyone an example of my pattern writing style, should they be unfamiliar with my work. I know it can be tricky as a knitter to know whether or not a pattern designer’s writing style is something that will work for them and so by offering a free download of this design, it allows everyone to preview what they can expect in any of my garment patterns. It’s also a way for me to say thank you to everyone for their support throughout these 15 years – I so appreciate everyone who has
The updated pattern was still tech edited and, as you can see above, thoroughly test knit, so although it’s free it still went through my typical standards to ensure quality and accuracy.
The above is a funny outtake from our photoshoot – the day we took these pictures (in early January), it was FREEZING and super windy. In-between shots I would hop around to try to get warm. So no, I’m not doing some new Tik Tok dance haha.
Are you ready to make your own Mud Season? Click here to visit the pattern page (or here for Ravelry).