Knititude

Sometimes swatches lie

I decided to knit myself a Plaited Tam, but I wanted to try a different yarn; even though I loved the SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Sport I used for the sample, it's not available locally, and can take up to four weeks to arrive if ordered from the SweetGeorgia website (since it's dyed to order).  So I decided to make things a little challenging for myself, and use a yarn of a different gauge:  Cascade 220 Superwash, which is more of a light worsted weight.  I did a swatch of a couple of repeats of the Plaited Tam stitch pattern, including the ribbing, and since one repeat measured 2 to 2 ¹/₄ inches at the bottom edge, after blocking, I figured the larger size, with 8 repeats, would give me a finished circumference of 16-18 inches.  Sounds good, right?  (I didn't care so much about the finished diameter of the tam-- a little oversized was fine with me).

I used Color #1910, a heathered aqua (color in photos is off-- it's much prettier in real life), and after blocking over a large plate, it was a bit oversized, at around 12" diameter.  But the ribbing part was only around 16" when measured while the tam was lying flat, so...

it was only when I tried to put it on that I realized that it was definitely too large!  I could not get it to stay on my head without it slipping down over my eyes, unless I perched it back behind my hairline (and then it looked like a wooly shower cap).

Lesson learned: even if a swatch seems to measure properly when lying flat, it is essential to consider how the fabric will behave when it's worn; in this case, the ribbing stretched too much under its own weight to hold the hat on my head.  I should have measured the swatch slightly stretched; when I did, one repeat measured 2 ³/₄ inches, which translates to a circumference of 22" (and my head is 21").  

Next:  I try knitting the smaller size!

Cambia Capelet, Girls' Version

 

I wanted to have a sample of the girls' version of Cambia in one of the smaller sizes, since the body proportions of pre-adolescent girls are so different from those of adult women (by the way, I compared the CYCA guidelines for Child and Woman sizes to ensure that the two Cambia sizes which can be made for both girls and women, sizes Girls' 10-12/Women's XS and Girls' 14-16/Women's S, will work for both). 

In addition, after knitting the original women's size sample, I decided to change the cable stitch pattern slightly for the pattern, so I wanted to make absolutely sure that it still looked good, without too much space between the cables (for an explanation of why I made the change, seehere).  For this sample, size 2-4, I used Dream in Color's "Visual Purple," and I followed the pattern directions as written.  Keep in mind that this is the smallest size, and that cables will look proportionally smaller in the larger sizes.

I've added a couple of photos of the girls' version to the pattern pdf, so I will email the updated pattern to everyone who has already purchased it.  In addition, I made a slight change to the directions, simplifying them.  For suggestions for yarn substitutions, see here.

 

Yarns for Cambia Capelet

I usually like to suggest some possible alternative yarns for my patterns:  I like to hit several yarn price points (and maybe if we're lucky, some of those yarns can be found on sale), some knitters are sensitive to one fiber or another, and some-- okay, all-- knitters have a few yarns in their stash that they are looking to use up. 

For Cambia, I have to put in a plug for Dream in Color Classy* (100% superfine merino wool), mainly because I feel that the color variations really add interest to Cambia's fairly simple stitch pattern.  The colors are beautiful, and there is no pooling of color in the finished garment (for photos of the Visual Purple and Deep Seaflower colorways, see here, hereand here).  The yarn is also machine washable and a pleasure to work with, but there are many yarns with these last characteristics, so they are less of a factor in my strong recommendation that you give DiC Classy a try.  Note that some of their colors are more semisolid than others; I tend to prefer the semisolid colorways to the more wide-ranging color mixes. 

But of course there are many other yarns out there!  For this project, I would avoid 100% cotton, because the finished project would tend to be too heavy, and more likely to stretch out of shape than a pure or mixed animal fiber or synthetic.  Ditto for linen and silk-- except for the caveat that if you only want to wear the capelet "normally" (over both shoulders), the drape of a pure linen or silk yarn might be nice (but the cable stitch pattern would definitely have a flatter look to it).  Plant fibers mixed with wool or synthetic fibers should work fine.  Here are a few I like (as always, be sure to make a good-sized gauge swatch and measure it after blocking, whenever you substitute yarn in a pattern!): 

Cascade 220 (wool):  also comes in a superwash version.  

Cascade Venezia (wool/silk)

Classic Elite Verde Collection Solstice (cotton/wool)

Debbie Bliss Fez (merino/camel)

Fiesta Yarns Boomerang (superwash merino wool)

Knitpicks Andean Silk (alpaca/silk/merino wool)

Malabrigo Worsted (merino wool)

Spud & Chloe Sweater (wool/cotton)

Tahki Yarns Savoy (silk/merino) 

 

*Full disclosure:  I purchased all of the Dream in Color yarn I own, including what I used for Cambia,  from various retail yarn stores, and have received no payment or compensation of any kind from Dream in Color.

Cambia Capelet

Pattern now available!

As promised, here are some more photos of the Cambia Capelet.  I took advantage of the recent snowfalls, which provided a pretty background for pictures, but in fact I think Cambia is really perfect for fall or early spring, when it makes a great outer later. 

 

Having said that, I've been throwing it on inside the house when I feel a bit of a chill, and it's been wonderful!  I can still knit or work at my computer while wearing it, and with no front or back (and no right or wrong side-- it can be worn with either side facing out), it couldn't be easier.  

And I think it's quite flattering.  The wide neck opening frames the face nicely, and keeps the wool from touching the neck-- a plus for those of us with sensitive skin.  It's sized so that it fits comfortably (not tightly) over bust and arms, but without a lot of ease; the above-elbow length and the stretch of the fabric are what make it work (although if you're planning to shoot baskets, or hail a cab, you might want to wear it over just one shoulder, or as a skirt!*).

 

I should mention that the sample pictured differs slightly from the pattern version: in the pattern, for all girls' sizes and for women's sizes XS-L, there are 2 additional stitches in each purl section (between cables), and for women's sizes 1X and 2X, there are 3 additional stitches.  The photo below shows a swatch with the 2 added purl stitches, superimposed over the sample capelet. 

Why the change?  Well, each yoke-shaping decrease removes one purl stitch from between the cables, and when I started grading the pattern for different sizes, I quickly realized that this method wouldn't get the neck opening small enough for sizes L-3X. 

 

The reason this was only a problem in the larger sizes is that the increases in bust and arm circumferences with each size are not proportional to the increase in cross back (shoulder width), which changes only an inch from sizes L to 3X.  I didn't think the capelet would look right if the upper edge didn't fall inside the ends of the shoulders (even though this would also mean that in sizes 1X and 2X, the over-one-shoulder and skirt options would not work-- the upper edge circumference just would not be large enough). 

 

So my only choice was to start with more stitches in each purl section, and I reluctantly decided not to offer a size 3X, which would have required adding 5 stitches to each purl section (compared to the pictured capelet) to achieve the shaping I wanted.

Other than the cables being slightly farther apart in the pattern vs. the pictured version, the other difference, in women's sizes XS and S ONLY, is that the neck opening will be slightly smaller than pictured (about 2" smaller in size S).  It will still be a wide boat neck in all sizes, and should still allow the capelet to be worn as a skirt or over one shoulder (except for sizes 1X and 2X).

 

I'm working right now on a sample for size 2-4, from the final pattern, so hopefully I'll soon have photos of the girls' version of Cambia! 

 

*Except for sizes 1X and 2X-- see text for explanation.

Which is better, One or Two?

In the last month I've taken myself and both of my sons for eye exams, which is perhaps why I have that phrase, "Which is better, one... or two?" stuck in my head.  I can picture myself sitting there, that funky optometrist apparatus in front of my face like some futuristic Carnivale mask-slash-headdress, and hear the clicking of the lenses as they are shifted back and forth with each repetition of those words.

But that is neither here nor there.  In this case, I'm wondering which of these swatches you like better:  One...

or Two?  The first would normally be called the "right" side, with the clearly delineated cables, but when I swatched for this capelet, I discovered that because of the way I set up the cables, and the way they move diagonally, narrow tendrils of knit stitches traverse the "wrong" side surface.  I liked this side enough that I decided to make this capelet reversible, paying attention to the transitions to ribbing at top and bottom of both right and wrong sides, and carefully weaving in my loose ends (of which there weren't many, thanks to those nice big 4 oz. skeins of Dream in Color Classy*).

And I decided to name this capelet Cambia (Italian for "it changes"), because it can be worn with either side out; over one shoulder only; or even as a skirt!  More pics coming soon to demonstrate.

*By the way, the yarn colors (colorway "Deep Seaflower")-- many subtle shadings of turquoise, blue, violet, and pewter-- are reproduced quite accurately in these photos; pretty, aren't they?