En Pointe Pullover by Alice Tang

The En Pointe Pullover is a whisper of a cover-up, perfect for springtime. Designer Alice Tang uses large needles with lace-weight yarn to make the En Pointe an open stitch piece that makes it one of those quick, easy knitting patterns we love.

What makes this piece really special, though, is the mobius twist at the center front. This simple half-twist gives En Pointe a graceful drape that's flattering and attractive.

We did a little gallery with the En Pointe Pullover, showing it on three different shapes. With a few alterations here and there, this pattern will look wonderful on all sorts of bodies.

The En Pointe Pullover

Finished Size 32 (36, 40, 44, 50)" bust circumference.
Yarn Louet KidLin Lace Weight (49% linen, 35% kid mohair, 16% nylon; 250 yd [229 m]
/50 g): #23 deep cerise, 4 (4, 5, 5, 6) skeins.
Needles Size 10 (6 mm). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions Removable markers (m) or waste yarn; crochet hook in size C/2 (2.75 mm) or D/3 (3.25 mm); tapestry needle.
Gauge 16½ sts and 24 rows = 4" in St st.

The sweater shown on the models measures 36", modeled at left with 3" of positive ease.

Sucia modeling the En Pointe

Sucia usually wears a size 8 top; she's 5' 9" tall.
Bust: 36"
Waist: 30"
Hips: 38"

This sweater fit everyone very differently. Sucia liked it, but not with her outfit. She thought it would be great with a black dress or a black shirt and pants. Sizewise, the 36 fit her just right—even the sleeves were the correct length.

	Terry modeling the En Pointe
	Audrey modeling the En Pointe

Terry usually wears a size 8 top; she's 5' 2" tall.
Bust: 37"
Waist: 35½"
Hips: 37¾"

We loved this top over Terry's gray dress (shown at right). The 36 fit her just fine, too. I'd like to see Terry wear this sweater over a more figure-hugging dress. She's got a great bust to waist ratio and the En Point would really show it off.

It's interesting to note that the mobius design at the front of this sweater fits a range of bust sizes, so if you're anywhere from a 34 to a 39, the 36 will fit you. Like any garment, though, the fit depends on your body-type.

For example, even though Sucia's bust measurement  is one inch smaller than Terry's, Sucia is actually bustier. We thought this size  looked just a tad better on the smaller-busted gals because there was more ease and therefore more drapiness. If you're bustier, make a larger size.

Audrey usually wears a size 12 top; she's 5' 2" tall.
Bust: 37"
Waist: 38"
Hips: 42"

The sample was too large for Audrey—you can see that the sleeves are too long and there's just too much going on at the waist for this size to be really flattering. If Audrey were to make this, she should shorten the sleeves to three-quarter-length or at least bracelet-length, and make the size 32. I love the color on her, though.

Audrey is cold a lot, so her style is to layer vests or hoodies over long-sleeved T-shirts. She always looks great, and I think the En Point would be a regular in Audrey's rotation, adding a little zing to her wardrobe.

This sweater is pretty special, and really versatile, too. I can see it with black skinny jeans, black boots, and a black tee, can't you? I saw a black En Pointe on Ravelry, which would look fab on a monochrome outfit of any color.

Yarn choices are wide open, too. The yarn Alice used in the design is pretty "mohairy," if that's a word, but I've seen this knit in a smooth yarn and it's still pretty. I probably wouldn't use a pure bamboo yarn because the drape would really stretch out, but a bamboo blend would be nice and soft. If you like mohair though, it's a super choice because it looks great knit up in a loose gauge.

I hope you'll try the En Pointe Pullover for springtime, especially if you ever had dreams of being a ballerina!

Cheers,

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