Knititude

My friend Emily

For some reason I really enjoy figuring out how to work decreases and increases into stitch patterns:  witness all of my hats (Beaufort, Maple Seed, Rose of Sharon, Cinnabar, and Coin Cable) as well as the Chinese Lace Pullover and Wisteria child's dress (both based on the same stitch pattern), and the Dayflower Lace camisole.  Even so, I was getting sick of my latest hat by the time I had plotted out the crown increases maybe ten times and swatched them, oh, a half dozen times.  I'm going to look at the process I went through, in hopes of seeing how I might do it more efficiently in the future!

I began by looking at the stitch pattern (see first photo), which has two distinct motifs: a mini zigzag with eyelets (pattern #1 in all photos), and what I'll call a fountain lace panel (pattern #2).  Early on I decided I wanted the mini zigzag to begin as close to the crown as possible, and my first swatch reflected this, including beginning the purl stitch borders in the first few rounds.  Issues with the first swatch:  I felt that the patterns overall just didn't "read" very clearly, and I thought including the purl stitches early on was at least part of the problem.

In this swatch, I decided to wait until much later to begin the purl stitch columns which divide the two motifs in the final stitch pattern.  I also tried using more paired yarnovers for the increases, because the fountain lace pattern uses paired yarnovers.  Certainly the two stitch patterns would be harder to distinguish if I hadn't circled them (and these swatches are unblocked); nevertheless I felt the mini zigzag was clearly established early on in this swatch, and the fountain lace panel has a nice symmetrical look to it.

Unfortunately, the increases came on much too fast in the above swatch, yielding a pretty ruffled look completely unsuitable for a hat crown!  In looking back, maybe I should have been able to foresee this; although I've found that lace patterns in particular can be very forgiving of irregular increases and decreases, there is surely a point where blocking will not smooth things out.

I tried a couple of swatches with single yarnover increases (not pictured), but the problem was making the beginnings of the fountain lace panel look symmetrical.  I then went back to including purl stitches early on (next swatch), which helped define the mini zigzag, but didn't do much for the fountain lace.

Aargh!!

At this point I had also decided that one of the nice things about the fountain lace pattern was that the openwork was set off by solid panels, so I was afraid that the crown area would look too open in comparison; in the next swatches I tried using different types of increases to make portions of the fabric look more solid.

I found that increasing by knitting a stitch in the row below (see section "2" in the photo at left) was unattractive in a fabric that would be as stretched as a hat crown; this was made more obvious now that I had the rate of increases more or less figured out, and the fabric was lying flat as a result.

Finally  I was starting to get somewhere.  In the last swatch, I really cut down on yarnovers, increasing instead by lifting the running thread between stitches and twisting it to make a new stitch (M1).  I really liked the contrast between solid areas and the mini zigzag, and the areas that would segue into fountain lace were looking mostly symmetrical; for the final version of crown increases, the only change I made from this swatch was in one of the very early rounds, to make the point of the outlined triangle more symmetrical.

And Emily?  Well, up to now I had used Emily Ocker's Cast On for one project, with some difficulty, and when I decided to use it for this hat, I had to refresh my memory (using this web tutorial) on how it was done.  And it is a little fiddly.  But after doing it 7 or 8 times in a row, I think we're best buddies-- and it does create a lovely beginning for a top-down hat.

My hints for a happy EO's Cast On:  1)  When creating the first loop (the one pulled thru the finger loop for each stitch), make it nice and loose so you can pull the 2nd loop through it-- it will naturally tighten afterward.  2) Use a crochet hook smaller than your knitting needles; having the stitches tight will make it much harder for the needles to slip out of them for the first round or two, when you only have 2 or 3 stitches on each needle.

Math twice, knit once:

I think this should be the knitter's counterpoint to the carpenter's mantra of "measure twice, cut once."   The reason the photos show an item with the bottom edge of loose stitches hanging free is that I didn't math twice-- not even once, really.  I followed the somewhat unspecific advice given by Barbara Walker in Knitting From the Top for a "classic raglan pullover," not stopping to think that I was planning to make a pullover with a wider and deeper neck than the one she describes as "classic."  So I cast on stitches so the back neck width would be around 10 inches, and then increased at the raglan seams every other row.  Once I reached the point where it was time to divide for front, back and sleeves, I realized that I was going to have a sleeve circumference of somewhere around 13 inches at the upper arm (about right for my purposes), and a bust circumference of around 41 inches (about 6 inches too many).  Oops.

Well, Barbara does mention that it may "be necessary to depart from the standard rate of increasing."  Unfortunately for me, if I had decreased the frequency of raglan increases for all sections (back, front and sleeves), then the sleeves would have ended up being too tight, and if I had only decreased the frequency of increases for front and back, then the stitch pattern would not have mitered nicely at the raglan seam.  So it quickly became clear that I would have to frog and start over from the beginning, and the only way to keep the basic idea and use the same stitch pattern would be to make the back and front narrower at the neck, and the sleeve sections wider.

To be honest, I'm not sure I am loving this idea, although I will give it another chance before I move onto something else.  When I swatched for this project, I really liked the stitch pattern, which is a four-stitch cable with eyelets; the decreases move from side to side with each cable section, causing the cable to wave back and forth.  I wonder why I like non-symmetrical wavy patterns so much (see here, and here, and here), and why I keep trying to make them work with raglan seams.... 

A short revisit

I wanted to mention a couple of tiny pet peeves; these are not on the order of chronic lateness (my own or someone else's), crazy drivers, or even PMS headaches or frizzy hair.  No, these are niggling concerns--yet nagging nonetheless.  First:  the tendency of drapey and/or fine gauge sweaters to show the outlines of hardware such as belt loops, belts, snaps or buttons (and I'm sorry, but I refuse to wear leggings under everything); second, the tendency of many sweaters to hang shapelessly at the small of the back (which is after all part of the waist).  These are two reasons I really like how the Chinese Lace pullover fits; the lace has enough relief and texture, plus a slight flare, which combine to conceal the tops of jeans very nicely (and yes, even the dreaded muffin top--not saying that I have one, but...); and the ribbing and side waist decreases and increases give a shapely fit, even at the small of the back.

And this?  A gorgeous version of Chinese Lace, from Angelika, in Germany; it puts my own to shame.  Thanks, Angelika!

It's all about the earrings

Sure, I'm inspired by a particular yarn, by "stitchionaries," by just about anything, but really, it all comes down to the earrings.  Unlike some other knitters, I don't have a thing for shoes, nor socks (too many knitters to reference!)--you know, the feet are awfully far from the ears.  Normally speaking.  And in theory, I like bracelets and necklaces (in that order) but I just don't wear bracelets that much, and necklaces--I know it's an opportunity to make a wish every time you have to move the clasp around, but it just annoys me that the thing keeps inching around from the nape to the front of my neck.  Someone should invent a decorative clasp that also holds the pendant, so the whole kit'n'caboodle hangs in front, without requiring any fiddling.  I do have necklaces in which the centerpiece is part of the necklace, rather than hanging from the chain or cord or whatever, but every time I turn my head, it moves, and has to be re-centered.  Can anyone tell me whether a little dab of superglue, or whatever it is that starlets use to keep their plunging necklines in place, might work in this situation?

But I digress.  My point is, I often buy yarn with a pair (or two) of earrings in mind, and to a lesser extent, create designs to go with my favorites.  The chalcedony and crystal pair I got in Nantucket (above) inspired my purchase of the Classic Elite Posh I used for this sweater--unfortunately, not one of my better efforts.  The yarn in the third photo must go unnamed for now, but it's a paler yellow than it appears in the photo--buttery enough to spread on toast, in fact.

As you can see, I have a lot of pink earrings:  top, rose quartz and pink pearl; bottom, the same.  I bought the yarn for this sweater because I realized that I had hardly any clothes to go with all those pink earrings.  I don't dislike pink clothing, necessarily, but the color must be just right:  for me, hot pink and pastel just don't work, but a pale pink, almost neutral, or a dusty pink--those are possibilities.

This  Empire Silk yarn, from Karabella, is absolutely gorgeous (the bad photo doesn't do it justice), and it's sitting in my stash waiting for the perfect pattern.  When I purchased it, I could only find five skeins of that lovely deep gold...I wonder if I should buy more, now that kpixie seems to carry it. 

Anyhoo.  I've saved the best for last.  I love, love, LOVE these confections.

And the yarn ain't bad either:  Alchemy Yarns Synchronicity in "Good Earth."         

    

Yardage for Chinese Lace Pullover

StacyZ requested the approximate yardage for Chinese Lace, so here it is, for sizes S [M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]:  1050 [1150, 1250, 1350, 1475, 1600] yds. 

And, since it's Friday, yet another stunning view of Lago di Como.  Ciao!

Chinese Lace Pullover

  I toyed with the idea of giving this sweater a better name.  After much consideration, I almost chose "Suzhou," a town in China famous for its beautiful gardens and beautiful women, because that's where my grandmother is from (and she is certainly more beautiful than I'll ever be--here's proof).  My other top choice was "Meihua," Chinese for plum blossom, a symbol of China.  In the end I decided to keep the name practical and descriptive, and Chinese Lace Pullover it remains. 

Worked in DK weight cotton yarn, this sweater would also be lovely in a cotton/silk blend, or all silk, or wool/silk, or cashmere--any yarn with good stitch definition that will show off the lace pattern, a modified version of "Chinese Lace" from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns.  The fit is not overly close, but the ribs create a flattering, body-skimming line, and the raglan sleeves are also flattering for most body types.  The pattern is written for sizes S, M, L, 1X, 2X & 3X; for garment bust measurements of 35, 39, 43, 47, 51, and 55 inches.  Click here to purchase pattern!  (If using a direct payment from your Paypal account, or a credit card, make sure you click the "continue to download" button immediately after purchase.)

Edited on 10/23/07 to add:  the pattern has been updated and now includes directions for working both flat, in pieces, AND in the round to the armholes; in addition, the upper body shaping has been altered slightly to allow simpler and clearer directions for continuing the 7 knit/ 2 purl body ribbing into the neckband.  IF you purchased the pattern before the above date, and want the updated version, please contact me at [email protected], and I will email you the new version free of charge.

Edited on 3/28/08 to add:   Please make the following correction to patterns purchased before today:  under "Sleeves:  Raglan Shaping,"  the first sentence should read "Dec 2 sts each side (k1, SSSK...)" etc., NOT "(k1, sl1, SSSK...)." 

At long last

Nice house!  Wonder who lives there?  Wonder when it was built?  Wait a minute--what's that in the foreground over there...could it be...Chinese Lace?!

Yes, it most certainly is--and it's not too short!

Hooray!

Note to self:

Next time, don't be a lazy slug:  treat ripped yarn properly to remove the kinks before re-knitting! It's not terrible, but you can see the difference between the new yarn and re-knitted yarn if you look closely (and if you can get past the moire patterning--for some reason it's really noticeable in this photo).  Modeled pics and pattern coming soon--the former when she dries, the latter ASAP.

Sleeve number four

Too-tight sleeve on the right, one-size-up sleeve (unblocked--although I guess that's pretty obvious) on the left.  The stitches on the new sleeve look kind of wonky because after I ripped one of the other rejected sleeves, I was too lazy to wind the yarn into a skein, wet it, weight it and rewind it, but hopefully the stitches will even out after blocking.

(Lago di Como, here we come!)

It's personal

I feel a little guilty that the, oh, five or six people who have been waiting for the pattern for the Chinese Lace pullover are *sigh* still waiting.  The lack of an external deadline (the new Knitty and Magknits should be up within the next week or so!) is probably a factor, but the main problem is that Chinese Lace really turned into something I wanted to make for myself, and it's not a one- or two-day affair, like a hat, and after one or two projects that just didn't fit quite right, I'm not willing to let the poor thing languish in my closet after spending hours working on it.

I think I have it at the proper length now, and I'm about halfway up my...fourth sleeve.  I do not have four arms, and in any case, none of the sleeves match; the first (rejected!) was all lace, the second (ditto!) had a belled lace cuff, then transitioned into stockinette, and the third is just a little too tight.  I loathe the feel of a snug sleeve, and usually think they don't look so hot either (and baggy sleeves don't do anyone any favors in the flattery department, but that's not the issue here).  When I calculated the sleeve circumference, I didn't take into account that it is mostly ribbing, which is really kind of hard to calculate gauge for--when measuring, do you leave it relaxed?  Stretch it?  How much?  I think it should probably depend on how the ribbing will behave when worn:  cotton is heavier and less resilient than wool, and ribbing around an elbow will be subject to much more movement than around a neck.  Anyway, I realized that if measured slightly stretched, the ribbing can have more ease than the same piece in stockinette, because it does tend to contract on the body, even if it was stretched while blocked.

Pictures next post--I swear.