Notes on Bianca's Jacket, Interweave Knits Fall 2006
The template:
Here's what I've learned so far. Some will be self-evident to the knitter/readers, but heck, why shouldn't we all accompany me on the learning curve? Something makes me want to say "hold hands and everyone stay together."
First up, a detail of the sleeve. The yarn is Sir Galli by Muench, a 100% silk that reminds me of a tussah silk. If you look carefully, you can detect slubs and a variegated thread of brown and beet red against the predominantly honey colors of the yarn. (From a brief investigation, looks like this yarn has been discontinued. I found a good deal at LittleKnits, but could see Rowan Summer Tweed as a great potential substitution.)
Notes on the yarn and pattern:
The 100% silk yarn called for has little to no resiliency. Know how wool or even alpaca has a spring to it? You knit it, it stretches and retreats, and then is available for a fair amount of change even in the blocking stage. Silk, not so.
The yarn has a dry hand to it, meaning it feels cool and a bit rough to work with, but not unduly so.
Gauge becomes more of an issue with an unforgiving piece of yarn. I'm guessing that, when I go to block this, that I will be doing lots of pushing and prodding to get it to the measurements suggested in the pattern.
Well-written pattern. No corrections after the fact on the Interweave Knits website. Directions are clear and easy to follow.
Don't be a renegade and do this sweater with circular needles. Use the straight needles that the designer, Michele Rose Orne, calls for. The reason, I believe, is that the stitches need to be kept at the same diameter throughout the work so that the gauge stays consistent. Because this yarn lacks the "memory" or spring we'd find in a wool, it needs the crutch of the straight needle's diameter to maintain its shape. Make sense?
I saw a huge change in texture when I finally caved and used straight needles for the sleeves. Much more continuity in gauge and texture, because the stitch doesn't open up as it's worked and then flop closed when it slides down onto the cable needle.
Here's another view of the lace detail on the bell sleeve.
And now, the elephant in the room, gauge. I swatched it both on size 7 and 6 circulars and could not detect much difference (getting about 16.6 stitches to 4 inches with both, or the gauge called for). I then isolated size 7 bamboo circulars as my main needle (what the pattern refers to as the "smaller" needle.") I made the back on a size 7 bamboo circular, then dropped down to a size 6 metal Addi, then finished with the 7 when it became too much of a struggle. Starting into the right and left fronts of the cardigan, I chose to make one thing in life easy by continuing with size 7 bamboo circulars for the fronts of the sweater. Below, on the right, the more open gauge of the front. The fabric feels a bit flabby. On the left, the more structured fabric of the back, but not comfortable to work.
The differences are more apparent in this photo. Back on left, front on right. It's all good though. This one is about finishing. 
Here's what I've learned so far. Some will be self-evident to the knitter/readers, but heck, why shouldn't we all accompany me on the learning curve? Something makes me want to say "hold hands and everyone stay together."First up, a detail of the sleeve. The yarn is Sir Galli by Muench, a 100% silk that reminds me of a tussah silk. If you look carefully, you can detect slubs and a variegated thread of brown and beet red against the predominantly honey colors of the yarn. (From a brief investigation, looks like this yarn has been discontinued. I found a good deal at LittleKnits, but could see Rowan Summer Tweed as a great potential substitution.)
Notes on the yarn and pattern:Here's another view of the lace detail on the bell sleeve.
And now, the elephant in the room, gauge. I swatched it both on size 7 and 6 circulars and could not detect much difference (getting about 16.6 stitches to 4 inches with both, or the gauge called for). I then isolated size 7 bamboo circulars as my main needle (what the pattern refers to as the "smaller" needle.") I made the back on a size 7 bamboo circular, then dropped down to a size 6 metal Addi, then finished with the 7 when it became too much of a struggle. Starting into the right and left fronts of the cardigan, I chose to make one thing in life easy by continuing with size 7 bamboo circulars for the fronts of the sweater. Below, on the right, the more open gauge of the front. The fabric feels a bit flabby. On the left, the more structured fabric of the back, but not comfortable to work.
The differences are more apparent in this photo. Back on left, front on right. It's all good though. This one is about finishing. 
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