Winter layers are still the name of the game for me lately, so I’ve made a cosy Merino wool Jersey version of the Grasser 913 hooded top.
The yummy fabric for this make came from Loulou designs about a year ago when they held a few shades of Merino jersey in stock. This colour is a kind of muted tone of deep ochre and I really like it a lot. Merino jersey is so lovely to work with. I’ve previously used it here. It’s very smooth against the skin, machine washes at 30 degrees and is fabulous for cosy winter layering.
I was drawn to the Grasser 913 top because I loved the great shape of the hood and the option to have a turtle neck as well, plus it has bust darts, not something often seen in jersey tops but I think it gives a much better fit so I’m here for it.
For my top, I used a size 46 as I didn’t want mine to be a really tight fit (for reference I’m a 36″ bust and 32″ waist). The body and sleeves sewed together without a hitch done solely on my overlocker apart from the bust dart. When it came to the longer length sleeves with thumb holes I cut them as per the pattern and tried the top on but decided that for me they were a big no-no… far too annoying. I like my hands free, not covered in fabric. So I chopped them off and hemmed them at a regular length. I’m so glad I didn’t finish them at the longer length before making up my mind.
The hood is a really great shape it has a centre-back panel and curved seams at the centre front and side fronts… beautifully drafted. The only modification I made was to make mine double-layered with all the seams enclosed. The instructions would have you create a single-layer hood with the possibility of all the overlocked seams visible if you have the hood down. My overlock thread wasn’t a very good match to the fabric so this spurred me on to make my hood double. It turned out great and I think I prefer it like that anyway. I would definitely do it again if I made another version of this top regardless of whether my overlocker thread matched or not.
This is a style of top that I haven’t tried before but I really like it. I can see it worn on its own or layered under crew neck sweaters and cardigans…(Edit: I wore it under one of my Nikki sweaters the other day and loved the comb!) It’s another really useful addition to my wardrobe.
Actually, I feel like lately, I’ve been on a bit of a roll with what I’ve sewn and then liking what I’ve made. I feel like my choices have been working out for me which is a great feeling. How about you? Have you been having much success lately? Or not? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for stopping by and reading, and I’ll close this post by wishing you the happiest of holidays however you celebrate.
See you soon!
