Louisa Harding's Enchanted
I've been wrestling with the dilemma of fit of late. And it stands to reason that I'm having problems:
1. because I don't pay much attention to the schematics of the pattern (the helpful line drawing where the designer specifies how wide at the shoulders, how long the sleeve, and so on)
2. I'm amazingly fussy about fit
3. mainly, what I attend to is the look of the pattern and what bust size would be best for me.
So, I'm going to take a lesson. The goal is to have the teacher help me to read the specs for a pattern and choose the best size for me. And to help me verify my reading of my gauge, because part of the issue may be that I'm getting one gauge for my swatch, and then another gauge once I dive into the actual knitting. And most hopefully, I want to learn how to adapt a pattern to my shape, so that where it runs small and I run larger, or where it runs short and I am longer, that I can figure out where to add and subtract, decrease or increase, so that the finished result works for me.
This is a lot to tackle in one hour. But when have my expectations ever be reasonable? Realistically, I'm hoping that I can learn enough to get myself started, and then come back once or twice more as I work the sweater to check in for advice and more instruction. The pattern I've chosen is by Louisa Harding, from her book, Winter Muse Portraits.
I've not made anything by Harding before, but the owner of my LYS steered me to the book, and it looks like me: lots of cardigans, lots of lace detailing, classic but with a twist through stitch or color work. And Rowan patterns have been the best fit for me, and it turns out (you probably already knew this) that Harding used to design for Rowan. The biggest challenge so far: picking the yarn. The palette that the Harding yarn, called Kashmir DK, comes in is generally pastel-ish and toward the green end of the spectrum. (And no, it's not cashmere, as I discovered when I asked the owner if she would support me in a cashmere habit. It's a soft, springy blend of merino wool, microfiber and a bit of cashmere.) I'm apparently, though I never go by this system, a "winter": best off in deep colors, what the teacher calls "jewel tones" and I call reds and deep fuchsias and maroons and blues. After much playing, I ended up with this rose-lilac shade.
Not a color I've worn before much, but I'm relying on the kindness of strangers, who assured me that it will work for me.
Next choice will be the contrast yarn for the ruffled edges of the sleeves and body. Here again, nothing was calling my name. But the owner stepped in again and suggested a Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK, which I've used and loved, in a near match to the Harding pink. And I trust her color sense: she's the person who selected the additional yarns for the Odds and Ends Swallowtail, and I love the color work in that.
So, first lesson, let go. Trust others' advice. Wow, that one may be even harder than getting a good fit in a hand knit sweater. . .
1. because I don't pay much attention to the schematics of the pattern (the helpful line drawing where the designer specifies how wide at the shoulders, how long the sleeve, and so on)
2. I'm amazingly fussy about fit
3. mainly, what I attend to is the look of the pattern and what bust size would be best for me.
So, I'm going to take a lesson. The goal is to have the teacher help me to read the specs for a pattern and choose the best size for me. And to help me verify my reading of my gauge, because part of the issue may be that I'm getting one gauge for my swatch, and then another gauge once I dive into the actual knitting. And most hopefully, I want to learn how to adapt a pattern to my shape, so that where it runs small and I run larger, or where it runs short and I am longer, that I can figure out where to add and subtract, decrease or increase, so that the finished result works for me.
This is a lot to tackle in one hour. But when have my expectations ever be reasonable? Realistically, I'm hoping that I can learn enough to get myself started, and then come back once or twice more as I work the sweater to check in for advice and more instruction. The pattern I've chosen is by Louisa Harding, from her book, Winter Muse Portraits.
I've not made anything by Harding before, but the owner of my LYS steered me to the book, and it looks like me: lots of cardigans, lots of lace detailing, classic but with a twist through stitch or color work. And Rowan patterns have been the best fit for me, and it turns out (you probably already knew this) that Harding used to design for Rowan. The biggest challenge so far: picking the yarn. The palette that the Harding yarn, called Kashmir DK, comes in is generally pastel-ish and toward the green end of the spectrum. (And no, it's not cashmere, as I discovered when I asked the owner if she would support me in a cashmere habit. It's a soft, springy blend of merino wool, microfiber and a bit of cashmere.) I'm apparently, though I never go by this system, a "winter": best off in deep colors, what the teacher calls "jewel tones" and I call reds and deep fuchsias and maroons and blues. After much playing, I ended up with this rose-lilac shade.
Not a color I've worn before much, but I'm relying on the kindness of strangers, who assured me that it will work for me.
Next choice will be the contrast yarn for the ruffled edges of the sleeves and body. Here again, nothing was calling my name. But the owner stepped in again and suggested a Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK, which I've used and loved, in a near match to the Harding pink. And I trust her color sense: she's the person who selected the additional yarns for the Odds and Ends Swallowtail, and I love the color work in that.
So, first lesson, let go. Trust others' advice. Wow, that one may be even harder than getting a good fit in a hand knit sweater. . .
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