Rhinebeck Sweater 2025 Ooey Gooey Reveal and Homemade Jeans!

I’m so excited to share my latest makes with you all: my Rhinebeck (“Ooey Gooey”) sweater and the full outfit I paired it with, plus a sneak peek at what’s next on my needles—and my wheel! Grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s dive into all the fiber fun.

July in Arkansas: When the Heat Is Real

I always kick off my videos—and now my blog posts!—with a little weather chat, because, well, it’s Arkansas in July. It’s that special time of year when your thighs become best friends and stay that way forever. We say it’s so hot the deviled eggs are boiling themselves! But don’t let the heat scare you off wool: it’s almost Rhinebeck season, and there’s no better time to cast on.

Rhinebeck Sweater Spotlight

Every year Andrea Mowry blesses us with a new color-work pattern, spun around a big community knit-along that culminates in the legendary group photo on “the Hill” at Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool (usually mid-October, around the 18th). This year’s “Ooey Gooey” sweater—sport weight with two colors—was so much fun to test knit. https://www.ravelry.com/projects/YoungFolkKnits/ooey-gooey

Yarn Choices & Color Work

Contrast Color: Originally Andrea used Spin Cycle’s Dyed in the Wool (a vibrant, color-shifting yarn), but I needed a more predictable, solid collar. I swapped to Spin Cycle’s Nocturne base (50% non-superwash wool + 50% superwash), which has a darker, subtler richness. My pick: Brown Sugar.

Main Color: Eclipse, a deep tonal blue. I used just under five skeins for a size 5, but you really only need four and a half.

Design Highlights:

• The contrast color shapes the neckline and yoke chart.
• Main color knits the welts below the yoke, then powers through body and sleeves.
• A little color-work cuff motif brings the contrast back at the wrist.

Construction & Techniques

• Tubular Cast-On/Bind-Off: I’ll never go back once I tried tubular edges on anything visible—neat, stretchy, and professional.
• Welts: I was skeptical, but after blocking (key!), they add just the right texture.
• Color-Work: Super approachable—even in sport weight it zipped by. I only caught my floats on the couple of rows where I wanted extra tidiness.
• Fit & Ease: I aimed for minimal positive ease. A size-five yoke gives just a sliver of extra room at my underarms—fine by me! If you want a perfect fit, you can mix sizes (knit a smaller yoke, then increase to your desired body size at the underarm). Just tweak sleeve and pickup counts accordingly.
• Bracelet-Length Sleeves: After knitting, I soaked the sweater for nearly an hour, then gently smooshed the sleeves (above the color work) to bracelet length—so satisfying!

Sewing the Bottom Half: Pinyon Pants

Because I can’t stop at just a sweater, I paired it with my favorite Sew Liberated Pinyon Pants in railroad-stripe denim from Ewe Fibers. https://sewliberated.com/products/pinyon-pants-pattern? Here’s why they’re my go-to jeans block:

• Streamlined Style: I skipped the carpenter pockets and hammer loop to keep the focus on the stripes.
• Inseam: 28″ hits right at my ankle—perfect. I’ve also made a 27″ version for a one-inch crop; both are winners.
• Fit with Zero Mods: These pants fit my hips and rear beautifully straight off the pattern, no fiddling required—bliss.

After finishing my sweater (still sizzling at 100°F for photos!), I changed into those pants for the full outfit reveal. Talk about fiber meets fashion!

Work-In-Progress: Laulu Tee by Sari Nordlund

Next on my needles: the Laulu Tee, a gorgeous lace-and-cable design that’s different from your run-of-the-mill tee construction. I’m using The Wandering Flock’s Cotton Lino in Pyite—a dreamy blend of 35% organic cotton, 30% mulberry silk, 20% linen, 15% alpaca (328 yds/100 g). The golden-green color is everything.

Where I’m At:

• Back is complete; fronts joined.
• I’ve finished every-other-row armhole increases and am mid “every-row” shaping—just eight rows to go before I join front and back.
• The center lace panel is so worth it, even on plant‐fiber yarn—it hides shifts in color inconsistencies beautifully.

Needles & Tools:

I switched from my trusty ChiaoGoo Red Lace to Hiya Hiya Sharps (WOW—those tips are surgical!). I joke that Sharpies could open a portal to another dimension. Both tools have their place: ChiaoGoos for “safe” knitting, Sharps for “danger zone” precision.

Future Styling:

I’m planning a full outfit: tee in Cotton Lino + Protea Pants (cream linen) for chic Scandinavian vibes—though I’ll inevitably lean into my “tomato-girl” garden style. Either way, I’m here for it!

Spinning Update: Pressed-Flowers Cardigan Bobbins

Spinning every day on my Daedalus e-spinner for the Pressed Flowers Cardigan contrast color: a combo spin of silk–alpaca–camel–merino. I aim for sport weight, two bobbins plied together.

But I also can’t resist my support spindle (with lap-bowl)—it’s a whole different world from drop spindles or wheels. The singles are delightfully inconsistent, which can frustrate my inner perfectionist, but it’s pure fun. Because plant fibers and alpaca are tough on my right hand (previous injuries!), I limit spinning to 15–20 minutes per session.

Considering Sweet Georgia’s spinning courses to improve technique. I learned so much from Craftsy wheel spinning classes, and I’m hoping spindle classes will be equally game-changing.

What I’m Reading & Listening To

When tech life spikes my anxiety, I turn to British cozy mysteries for genuine LOLs. My current obsession: Ian Moore’s series (he narrates his own audiobooks!) about a Brit expat in France. The first book: Death and Croissants – highly recommend if you love witty, character-driven stories. I laughed out loud more times than I can count.

Video of the Rhinebeck Sweater 2025!

That’s a Wrap!

Whew! That’s everything I’ve been up to lately: from Rhinebeck-inspired sweaters and sewn-up denim to lace tees, spindle spinning, and posh mysteries. What are you working on right now? Drop a comment below, and let me know! If you enjoyed this chat, hit “Like” and subscribe so you don’t miss any future fiber shenanigans.

Until next time, happy knitting (and sewing, spinning, reading…) y’all!