Once Upon A Sweater Vest

As we all know, it’s a rare piece whose maker can say is the best example of all things. Nor should it be, because that’s too much pressure to put on mere mortals with string.

But there are some knitted things which serve as useful examples of certain concepts.

This is one such garment. Flower of Nepal is a little sweater vest I knocked out to wear on tv once, when I learned there are colors and silhouettes that cameras hate. There was little time to spare (surprise) and even less yarn (natch), but lunatic that I am, I elected to knit something new. I used the opportunity/challenge to bang out a vest, with several experimental elements. I didn’t bother to write down any pattern notes, thinking that I wouldn’t need or want to publish the design. Given the unreasonable timeframe (about a week), I would be lucky to get a garment at all, never mind one worthy of the full “pattern-I’m-going-to-sell” treatment.

But it ended up that I quite liked the little vest. Some of the things I tried out on it were successful enough that I began to include it in my sample collection. I only showed it to my steeks students, and usually not on their first introduction to my circus: It’s a little bit thinky for the uninitiated. But for my experienced/returning students (Repeat Offenders), it’s a useful example of some advanced ideas. To wit :

1. The power of knitted hems to both display repeated motifs and add structure to an otherwise simple shape

2. The magic of shaping adjacent to cuts in knitted fabric (a cornerstone of my Shapely, Sexy Steeks class)

3. What happens when sock yarn can becomes a garment, with certain yarn characteristics accounted/adjusted for

A funny thing happened when the students got to play with it: They touched it, they tried it on, they liked its simplicity and ingenuity. They wanted the pattern. And by “wanted” I mean “suggested assertively that I get busy and make it happen, already”. I tried to argue that there were enough things I didn’t like about the vest that it wasn’t appropriate for public consumption. That while a useful example for class, it had elements which limit its knitability/wearability/appeal, and would have to be completely reworked. That its stash-dive yarn combo could not be reliably replicated by knitters.

My protestations were dismissed.

After a few repetitions of this exercise, I understood that resistance is futile. Like everything in knitting, it only hurts worse if you struggle. I pledged to rework the whole design, not just as a canvas for techniques, but as a carefully crafted and sized garment. One that would be both fun to knit and beautiful to wear. In short, one that is worthy of my knitters.

But the yarn problem remained: How could I replicate the strange and unusual color combination? What yarnmaker would sign up for such folly?

Enter the lovely and talented Kerry Graber of Jorstad Creek. Without trepidation, she took my little vest to her studio and worked all manner of magic. She chose the perfect base, and waved her wand over simmering cauldrons of color until she manifested this:

Did you ever? Me neither. Stunning doesn’t begin to describe it.

Once I had these gorgeous jewels in hand, I set about reworking the design. Stay tuned to see the process of how I reverse-engineered my creation for you, Gentle Readers. I think you’ll enjoy the ride.

Knitting Fearlessly

Rhubarb: A Fearless Sweater

For some knitters, the idea of making a garment is scary. They might not be the ones you would expect: I’m talking about knitters who have already made lots (and lots) of other things. They have earned their chops. They have made bobbles, booties, and blankets. They have cabled, and laced, and intarsia-ed their way all around the block.

But they’ve never made sweaters.

This isn’t a judgement - heavens no. There are lots of you out there who are perfectly happy not to make clothes at all. There are even designers (famous ones!) who never make garments. Everything they publish falls firmly in the accessory category. They wouldn’t know an armscye from an armadillo, and they are perfectly happy with their work, thank you very much.

So today’s message is not for them. Instead, I’m reaching out to those who just need a gentle nudge out of their own way. I’m calling to you, Gentle Knitters, who have never made a sweater because it just seemed, well, hard. What if it doesn’t fit? What if I pick the wrong pattern for my first try? What if I don’t like it when it’s finished ? And what’s the deal with “wearing ease”, anyway?

Lots of us have been stopped by those very questions on the path to sweater smugness. But I’m here to tell you that you can do it, because I believe in you.

I believe in you so much that I’ve created a very special class for you with its own pattern. The experience has four sessions, spaced far enough apart for you to make lots of progress in between. There’s no pressure to finish your sweater within the prescribed workshop time, but every support in place if you want to. I’ll be your personal guide, yarn whisperer and pattern sherpa. Together we’ll work on how to measure our bodies, select personal design elements, and yes, demystify wearing ease. Because I think that every knitter deserves to wear their own work, and to feel beautiful and accomplished when they do.

Our class project is the Rhubarb sweater, shown above. I created it especially for knitters making their very first sweater: It’s elegant but wearable, stylish without being trendy, and flattering on all kinds of different bodies. I wanted to make a pattern for you that is challenging without being complicated, and simple without being boring.

Won’t you join me for a little adventure? I promise to show you how brave and beautiful you are.

CLICK HERE for more information and to register.

The Sum of the Parts

My work on the Modern Fana continues apace! For those playing along at home, you’ll remember that my cunning plan was to grow a human ear on the back of a mouse. Which is to say that I’ve now grown a sleeve on the side of (one half of ) a cardigan body. The point of these machinations was/is to get all the pieces of knitting I need, while reversing the color dominance of the star bands with a minimum of fuss in the circular knitting.

Having most of the knitting behind me, I thought it would be fun to show you the various pieces I now have, and what they are/will become.

Here’s one half of the project. It’s a tube of knitting which is part sleeve and part body:

Once I cut the two pieces apart, they’ll be like this (notice I’ve gathered the sleeve cap below the facing - a new twist!):

Once I arrange those pieces into a garment, I’ll (finish and) attach this swell hood, upon which you can see the effect of reversing the color placement on the star band:

I’m working it in the round (natch), with a steek. when it gets to the right bigness, I’ll work some decreases at its center back to make it head-shaped. Once cut, the steek will attach at the neck edge and be covered by a sexy knitted band. Because sexy is as sexy does, don’t ya know.

And lastly, I’ll remove all the provisional castons, working edgings in their stead. Then embroidery. And rhinestones, mirrors, tassels and pompoms. Because more is More.

And if all of that happens, you’ll see it here, Gentle Readers. Watch this space!