A cutesy fact about my spouse: The man can wear a sweater. When we were still in college and getting to know each other, one of my favorite parts of the day was seeing what kind of sweater Zach would be wearing. And getting a hug from him and his wonderful, cuddly sweaters.

A gal could dream, but I never would have guessed that I’d someday be putting this guy into those wonderful sweaters, much less that I’d spend about three weeks hand-knitting one of those sweaters—with that number likely growing in the future because I am now just a little obsessed.

This handmade Grettir pullover from Brooklyn Tweed was truly a labor of love, and the result was well worth the hours of colorwork and waiting for the wool to block. It’s easily the warmest sweater Zach owns, so I like to think it’s like he’s wearing a cozy hug from me whenever he has it on. It looks great layered with a button-up shirt and can easily be dressed up enough that he feels comfortable wearing it between his various classes, internships and networking events.

I used Paton’s Classic Wool worsted yarn for this project, and I’m sorry to say this was my first time working with 100% wool. I’m now madly in love with the stuff—the way it feels working up, the look it takes on while soaking and blocking, and the way it wears. There is something truly magical about wool, and I’ve since accumulated quite a collection of it in the hopes of cranking out some more pieces before it becomes too warm to wear them here in Nashville, starting with my very own Grettir.

I was thrilled to learn that this is a his and hers pattern, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist stealing Zach’s if I didn’t have my own. He actually helped me choose Grettir from Brooklyn Tweed’s collection—he’d specifically requested an Icelandic yoke pullover after watching me make a baby version. And that’s the story of how my very first adult-sized sweater came to be!

The instructions in this pattern were super easy to follow, even for a near-beginner like myself. It knits from the waist up and features directions for a tubular cast on, which I’d never heard of before. I was able to get it down with just a few tries, and I now want to use this elegant technique for every project, as it creates such a clean, professional-looking edge.

Now that this guy is finished, I can’t wait to make many, many more and enjoy numerous hugs from my sweater-clad sweetheart. (D’aww, we’re gross.)

Have you ever made a sweater as a gift? What are your favorite beginner-friendly patterns? Let me know in the comments!