Why the CPH?
I have given my twin sister Cathy many knitted items (and some of my earlier projects were a little rough…). I decided it was time to make her a great sweater that she could wear every day. She actually saw the Central Park Hoodie on a knitting blog and immediately emailed the link to me, saying, “This is it!” The pattern is fun to knit because it’s so simple and straightforward, and the result is an absolutely classic sweater. I want to knit one for myself now! I’d even recommend this pattern to a beginner.

Yarn: Cascade Sierra in Ruby

Mods: My only accidental modification was forgetting to switch to size 8 needles for the body. I used size 6s for the entire project, so my Central Park Hoodie is a very fitted hoodie.

Why the CPH?
I wanted to make a cabled, hooded cardigan for my first sweater, and this project fit all my qualifications.

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers red

Mods: I knit the sweater at a finer gauge and knit the body in one piece to the armholes. I lengthened the body, sleeves, hood and ribbing. I also changed the cables, using only one cable on the sleeves and one wider cable bounded by two smaller cables on the center back. Instead of buttonholes, I made crocheted buttons and loops.

Why the CPH?
I was looking for a pattern to do an adult sweater for the first time that would be challenging and keep me interested without being frustratingly intricate. I also wanted to work on a sweater that would be good for the climate in Northern California which requires a light jacket/sweater most of the year. Once I got started with the project, I loved working on it, and finding ways to make the pattern uniquely mine.

Yarn: A beautiful plum color of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed

Mods: I started with a tubular cast on on the body and sleeves, increased to add some shaping after the waist, continued the cable up onto the hood, finished the button band with an I-cord bind-off, added some short rows in the button band to make the sides wider than the hood, and used toggles with i-cord button loops for the closure.

Why the CPH?
It’s cute, it’s easy, and it fits me really well. Since it’s got all those stretchy, forgiving cables, it’s a versatile piece that would flatter a variety of body shapes. This would make a good project for a knitter looking to make their first sweater.

Yarn: Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran, Thorny colorway

Mods: Lengthened the body by one inch, modified the cable repeat by adding an extra stockinette row between cable rows (I also had to adjust the decreases of the hood slightly so the cables would still match up), slipped all edge stitches to make seaming easier, seamed hood with a three-needle bind-off.

Why the CPH?
It is a deceptively simple knit. It looks far more complicated than it actually is!

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Wild Plum

Mods: I accidentally continued the central column of cables up the hood. I call it a design element. I also used toggle buttons that were originally on a school coat of mine when I was a child.