Knititude

Disappointment

I haven't worked with many variegated or nubbly textured yarns before, so after knitting up a swatch in my Shire Silk, I was quite disappointed to see that the Bead Stitch pattern, from which the more complicated Four Sisters pattern is derived, was quite lost amidst the nubbles.  I suppose a larger needle might have helped, but the stockinette portion seemed about right; I didn't want it any looser--nor did I think it was worth swatching the Four Sisters, given what I had already seen.  The Bead Stitch is at the bottom of the swatch, while at the top  is a simple rib; I was wondering whether any stitch pattern would show up in this stuff.

Then I thought that perhaps a big cable would be nice, so I tried that, with so-so results.  This "Framed Cable" pattern is really great, too, pictured on the far left in the book; I'll have to use it for something else.  So what to do with this Shire Silk, in what is a nicer color than it appears in the picture (mainly a light silvery green which reminds me of the foliage of a Russian olive tree)??  If it is destined to be a slouchy pullover in mostly stockinette, then I will definitely have to get one of those knitting machines.

So I shelved the Shire Silk for now, and moved on to my second choice:  Debbie Bliss Pure Silk.  Wow, this is slippery; so slippery that when I pulled it off my ballwinder, it promptly collapsed.  I tried to rewind it, and here is the resulting mess.  Not only is it slippery, but it twists around itself if given the chance.  I finally had to cut it in a couple of places, which for someone like me, who abhors working in ends, is highly annoying.

Stay tuned:  will the Pure Silk redeem itself once knit?  I wonder....

Fern Fitted Shell

The pattern is finally available for purchase! I went into my photo archives to find the pictures I took when I finished knitting Fern, and couldn't believe it was back in February.  Ah well, a few other things got in the way in the last almost-half year.
 
Il modello e' finalmente disponibile per comprare (ma purtroppo non in Italiano--mi dispiace).  Andavo nel mio archivio fotografico per trovare le fotografie che ho fatto quando finivo Fern, e non potrei credere che era in febbraio.  Allora, alcune cose hanno intervenuto nel ultimo quasi mezz' anno.

Panels of Fern Pattern lace (from the Mon Tricot 1500 stitch dictionary) form the side sections of this fitted sleeveless top, and cause the hem to curve gracefully. Binding off and then picking up stitches just below the bust creates an accent cord, above which gentle bust shaping (short row shaping optional) and a scoop neckline create a flattering silhouette. The neck and hem are finished with an applied I-cord edging, while the armholes are self-finished (see Pattern Notes). 

DIFFICULTY
Intermediate: skills used include reading chart, picking up sts, three needle bindoff, attached I-cord. 

MATERIALS
Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton, 65% cotton, 35% microfiber, 60 yd/55 m per 50 gm ball, 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12)  balls.
US size 8/5 mm circular needle, 24-47” depending on selected size.
US size 8/5 mm set of double-pointed needles (dpns), for neck edging.
Stitch holders, extra needles or waste yarn; markers
OPTIONAL: US size 8/5mm 16” circular needle for neck edging.
Adjust needle sizes if necessary to obtain correct gauge. 

SIZES & MEASUREMENTS

                    XS         S         M         L          1X        2X     3X
Bust             28         32        36        40        44        48      52 inches
                    71         81       91         102      112      122    132 cm
Underbust    24.5     28.5     32.5    36.5    40.5     44.5    48.5 inches
                    62         72       83       93        103     113     123 cm
Hip              30        34        38       42        46       50       54 inches
                    76        86       97        107      117     127     137 cm
Length         21.5     22        22.5     23       23.5    23.5    23.5 inches
                    55        56        57       58        60       60       60 cm
Shown in size S. 

GAUGE
16 sts/22 rows to 4”/10 cm in st st; 28 sts to 5.5”/14 cm for Fern Pattern. Check gauge on blocked swatch.

PATTERN NOTES
This top is intended to fit closely; however, the lace panels are very stretchy, so that even with zero ease, the fit is somewhat forgiving. In the pictured top, the length from bra band to hem is 11-12 inches/28-30 cm (the hem curves slightly) for all sizes; changes in overall length for different sizes all occur from the chest up. However, directions are also given for lengthening the portion of the top below the bust by 2 inches/5 cm. Read through all instructions before beginning, especially if you plan to change the length below the bust. 

Note that in the pattern, unlike the pictured top, the armholes are self-finished with Annie Modesitt’s slipped stitch edge; this reduces rolling of these edges, as well as finishing time.

Click here to purchase!  Included are all written instructions, schematic, and Fern Pattern chart; after purchase you will be emailed a link to download the pattern in pdf format.

Beam me up, Scotty

If Interweave Knits had sent me light pink yarn instead of light yellow, who knows--maybe I would have named my lace shoulder shell pattern "Captain Kirk"!*  When it came time to send the written instructions to the IK editors, I thought that just naming it "Lace Shoulder Shell" seemed kind of boring.  Then I had the idea to name it for a light yellow flower, and after deciding against "Daffodil" or "Freesia," I started looking for a nicely-named light yellow rose variety.  Here are some of the names I rejected in favor of "Lutea":  Peace, Soleil d'Or, Mermaid, Perdita, Topaz Jewel, and Golden Showers (yuck!).  So that is what light pink roses have to do with knitting--not much, really.

But my Captain Kirk turned out rather well, I think.  Pattern mods?  Of course!  Here they are:

I couldn't find any Classic Elite Sundance, so instead I used Misti Cotton, a worsted weight cotton/silk blend.  I didn't do a gauge swatch (gasp!) but the gauge seemed to be just about perfect.  There is some slight variation in the thickness of this yarn, but it didn't bother me--in fact I found it very nice to work with:  soft, resilient enough, with a slight sheen.  It blocked well too.

I customized the hip and waist shaping by casting on for size 36, then decreasing 8 times every 4 rows instead of 3 times every 8 rows, for a waist circumference of around 28".  After working even for 7 or 8 rows, I then increased 6 times every 5 rows, meaning that I was left with a bust circumference of about 34" instead of 36".  I worked the armhole shaping as if for size 32, which left me with the same number of stitches when it came time to do the short rows as size 36--so I followed the directions for that size.

The other change I made was to end the shoulder lace on a pattern Row 1 instead of 3.  This is the yarn over row, meaning that the number of stitches was increased; I've read that in lace patterns, you want to avoid casting off on this row because of the tendency of the pattern to spread.  However, when I made the Lutea sample, I found I had to fight the tendency of the lace to contract at the shoulder when seamed--even though I used a larger needle for the three needle bindoff, and worked very loosely--so I thought some spread might actually be a good thing!  I did still use a US size 10 needle for the bindoff.  I like the way the shoulders turned out--with more stretch than the original.

I considered doing a turned hem but decided to leave the simple stockinette bottom edge alone--yes, it rolls slightly, but I think of this as a pretty casual top, and the rolled edge is in tune with that.

         *It's tempting to speculate on the whys and wherefores of that name:  William Shatner's florid complexion, perhaps?  His ever-youthful appearance in Star Trek reruns?  Perhaps it's a rapidly climbing rose, exploring the garden galaxy, as it were.  Or maybe it was just created by a Trekkie (but then why not "Spock," or "Uhura"?).

We have winners

Man.  Y'all are good.  Who knew there were so many gardeners out there?  I did eliminate "Gruss an Aachen," "Mrs. Bosanquet" and "Sparrieshoop" from the list of light pink rose varieties, because Googling any of those would have given an instant answer.

I didn't specify how to enter the contest, so I accepted the first three correct comments, as well as any correct emails submitted during the same time period.  And the winners are:

1. Eva Smith (email)
2. Grad School Knitter
3. Anne
4. Macoco

Yes, there are four winners; conveniently, I actually have two prizes worth of the DiVe Cotone Egitto.  So, once Eva lets me know via email which yarn she prefers (Garnstudio Silke-Tweed, Classic Elite Classic Silk, or DiVe Cotone Egitto), and where she'd like her prize sent, I will let Grad School Knitter know which yarns are still available--and so on and so forth.

Congrats to all!  Next post--what this all has to do with knitting.

First-ever contest!

La prima contesa!

I was organizing my stash the other day (the American part of it; there's more waiting for me when I return to Italy in September) and thought, "I'm going to get rid of some of this yarn I'll never use feeling generous today."

Stavo organizzando lo mio stash l' altro giorno (la parte americana; c'e di piu aspettando per me in Italia quando ritorno in settembre) e pensavo, "Mi liberero' di un po' di questi filati che non usaro' mai  sento generosa oggi."

So, if you are one of the first three readers to answer the following question correctly, you can win 4 balls of one of the pictured yarns!  International readers, yes, I will ship overseas.

Allora, se sei uno di prima tre lettori che risponda alla domanda successiva correttamente, puoi vincere quattro gomitoli di questi filati!  Lettori internazionali, si, spediro' all' estero.

Here's the question:  What do the following words, names or phrases all have in common?

Ecco la domanda:   Che cosa hanno le parole, i nomi o le frasi successivi in comune?

• Captain Kirk
• Country song
• Delicata
• Hermosa
• Literary giant
• New dawn
• Penelope
• Radiance

Good luck!
Buona fortuna!

(This does have something to do, in a very roundabout way, with knitting, as will be revealed in a future post.)

Mi dispiace, ma non so come di tradurre "something to do with" o "in a very roundabout way".

Dayflower Lace Camisole/Dress

Pattern now available for purchase!

This empire-waisted camisole, almost entirely worked in the round, is easily lengthened to a dress.  It showcases the “Dayflower” lace pattern from Barbara Walker’s 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns.  The bust is fitted, with a twisted cord tie accent, and the Dayflower lace straps provide the finishing touch.

MATERIALS
Classic Elite Premiere, 50% cotton/50% Tencel, 108 yds/50 gm skein, color #5220 “frosted blue”, 6 (7, 8, 9, 10, 10) skeins for hip-length camisole.
US size 6/4 mm circular needle, 24-47” depending on selected size.  Adjust needle size to obtain correct gauge.
Stitch holders or waste yarn

DIFFICULTY
Intermediate:  skills used include lace knitting (probably not an ideal first lace project), reading chart, picking up sts, three needle bindoff.

GAUGE
20 sts/28 rows to 4”/10 cm in st st; approx 23 sts/30 rows to 4”/10 cm in patt st.  Check gauge on blocked swatch.

SIZES & MEASUREMENTS

                     S      M      L     1X     2X    3X
Bust              33    37     41     45    49    53 inches
                    84    94     104  114   124   135 cm
Underbust     28     32     36    40     44    48 inches
                    71     81     91    102  112   122 cm
Circ at hem   41.5  47.5  47.5  53   59   59 inches
                    105   121   121   135  150  150 cm
Shown in size S, 24”/61 cm long.

PATTERN NOTES
St st gauge is more important for proper fit than lace st gauge, because fitted portion of top is worked in st st.  The underbust (measured at the bra band) should fit with zero to slight ease (the twisted cord will help hold this area against the body) while the bust should fit with zero to negative ease. 
The underbust band should stretch to 33 (38, 42, 47, 52, 57) inches; ensure that this is sufficient to put the garment on by making a loop corresponding to this measurement for your size, using a nonstretchy cord or measuring tape, and passing it over your head, arms and chest.

Note that empire dec are not the same for each size; because dec are worked into each repeat of the lace pattern st, larger sizes would have had larger decreases in circumference just below the underbust band.  For instance, if the empire dec used in sizes S and M were used for all sizes, in sizes 2X and 3X the hem circumferences would have been 65” and 71”, respectively.  However, if you prefer a fuller “skirt” and more gathered empire waist, for sizes L (1X, 2X, 3X) cast on 306 (340, 374, 408) sts and follow the empire decrease directions for sizes S and M.

 

Click here to purchase!  Included are all written instructions, schematic, and Dayflower Lace charts; after purchase you will be emailed a link to download the pattern in pdf format.

Now what?

Although I did in fact get some knitting done yesterday, the day was mostly devoted to holiday-appropriate activities such as eating and drinking to excess, swimming, hanging out by the pool with the relatives, breaking up fights amongst the overtired children, and, oh yes, attending the world-famous Cotuit 4th of July Parade.  Above is one of the fine parade floats which demonstrates why we have indeed earned that world-famous status.

On the needles is my own Lutea, in the slightly too-pink yarn shown in the photo--Misti Cotton, a cotton-silk blend.  It's very soft and working up nicely, and what the heck, every girl needs at least one garment in a super-sweet cotton-candy pink, right?  (It's pinker than it appears in the photo.)  But hopefully that will be a quick knit, so the question is:  now what?  I'm dying to do something with all of these yarns:  from left to right, Debbie Bliss Pure Silk (finer than I expected, but I might try using it doubled); Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK, a merino/microfiber/cashmere blend; Plymouth Yarns Shire Silk; Louet Euroflax (100% linen, machine washable and dryable); and the Misti Cotton.  But right now that Shire Silk is calling me; I think it may be perfect for a long-sleeved pullover incorporating the Four Sisters stitch pattern--see it swatched here.

(Still writing up that Dayflower Lace pattern!)