Let's Rhomb!

Yesterday my new design came out! 
I gave it the silly name of "RhombingAround", since the main feature here are the textured rhombs in the stitch pattern on the body and cuffs and their counterparts in stranded colour-work on the top of the sleeves.

You must have noticed by now, that I am a big fan of silly names.... Even if they aren't always silly per se, the names usually have to have some reference to the piece somehow - and if there can be a tongue-in-cheek association, than it's even better. 
...I am a big advocate of not taking oneself serious anyway!

But back to the pattern: It was quite a roller-coaster journey. I changed many parts multiple times over two months (which is something that seems to happen all the time with me). 
There is a lot of detailed information in this pattern especially at the yoke section, because I wanted to integrate short rows into the stitch-pattern for a better fitting shoulder part and neckline, without any break in the texture: so multiple charts are going to accompany you on every step - as also written instructions for each row. 
Nothing is left to let you guess on how to work those short rows and increases in pattern!

The sleeves get all the focus in this design. I wanted to add a simple stranded section, but to modernise it by breaking up the pattern at the underarm - where the rhombs are transforming into wide edgy block-stripes and the lines are flowing from the neckline into the back stripe and all around the whole sleeve cap. 
The top-down set-in construction always amazes me in terms of fit and easy construction. 
It even allows to customise the size for the sleeves without having to work any extra calculations: they can simply be picked-up in a size up or down than the body was worked! 

But the neckline finishing is my personal favourite here!
I was experimenting with a tubular bind-off method, that would not involve any sewing or thread-cutting at all and that can be worked with knitting alone. I still haven't found what I was really looking for, but I stumbled on this neat way to produce some kind of tubular edging for necklines - and had to immediately implement it in this design!

As usual there is an easy to follow, step-by-step photo tutorial at the end of the pattern that walks you through this new technique.

The pullover has an ample fitting lower body with lots of ease that allows one to feel comfortable during the day (even if you had too much pasta to eat during lunch) - and that lets the textured pattern drape nicely here.

As a contrast fitted sleeves counterbalance the larger sized body and allow for a more elegant look than an overall oversized garment would give.

I hope you like this design and rhomb around, too!
You can find the pattern for download here on this site or here on ravelry (where you can see all the wonderful colour-combinations, used by the best testers on earth)!