Fashion: Yarn Style

Vintage Lace

 

There are some truly gorgeous vintage lace patterns out there! One of my favorites is the Victorian Lace Blouse, by Michele Rose Orne. Talk about romantic! In keeping with the upcoming holiday, the front of the blouse actually forms a heart shape, Valentine style!

 

There are so many wonderful sources of vintage lace patterns, from Sarah Dallas’ Vintage Knits:

 Lace Cardigan

To Jane Waller and Susan Crawford’s A Stitch in Time:

 Such a Debonair Little Jumper

I am drawn to these patterns, like a moth to a flame, but there are two things that hold me back from committing to them.

The first drawback is the complexity of the pattern—look at the Victorian Lace Blouse, for example. Three different lace patterns, grafted together—wow! It does give the perfect Victorian look of the flowery, complex patterns, but what a challenge! If what resulted was a sweater I could wear on a weekly basis, I might go for it. But, let’s face it, even us Vintage fanatics have to admit that there is a time and a place for our retro clothing. This is my second obstacle to doing more lace knitting. For me, the opportunities to wear vintage-inspired lace are limited to gatherings with Jane Austen fans, fellow romance writers, and teas with my wacky girlfriends! And how many lace sweaters do I really need to make for these festivities? My knitting closet sports 11 lace and/or retro-inspired tops already!

 

In approaching my current lace project for the Sexy Knitter’s Club Knit Along, my goal was to create a garment that had as many uses as possible, as lace knitting is a considerable investment of time and sanity.

 

By converting this white summer top to black lace, I am able to bump this up from “woman only wear” to also date night with my husband. In addition, by raising the neckline and changing it to a crew-neck style, I may be able to use this as a work garment if I wear a dark top underneath to disguise its sheerness and a blazer buttoned in front on top. Voilà—the sexy night time blouse is converted into a practical work shell with an interesting texture shimmering through the V-front blazer. I’m determined to get as much out of this lace as possible!

 

    One of the particularly clever aspects of this Vogue pattern is the way that the designer confines the complexity of the lace pattern to the neckline, where it achieves maximum effect. The body of the top is actually knit in a simple, one row, six-stitch repeat lace pattern that I could knit with my eyes closed! Talk about minimizing your knitting effort! True, this kind of regular pattern with holes can be a bit boring, but I have encountered a fool-proof way to convert a simple lace pattern like this from drab to sensational. By knitting this DK-weight pattern in an extremely fine, laceweight yarn, the resulting lace has the ethereal, cobwebby quality of an antique piece.

 

I am totally enamoured with the effect produced by this 2-ply lana oro yarn, knitted on size 6 needles. Scarlett in Gone with the Wind would have had no need to convert her drapes into dresses if she had had this knitting trick up her sleeve! Even better, the simple lace pattern, in 6 stitch repeats, is perfectly suited for the massive waist shaping that I need to superimpose on all my tops to avoid eclipsing my short-waist! Every time I reduced 3 stitches at a time, half of the lace pattern, which by coincidence, worked in two blocks of threes. That way, I could reduce and add in a reasonable number of sets of 3s—still not as many as I wanted, but enough to get reasonable shaping without a noticeable disruption of the pattern.

 

If only all we lace knitters could get together in one place to show off our creations! Now that would be a festive celebration I’d give anything to attend!!!

Ocean Twilight

  

 By the time we got to the ocean, it was almost night. We walked through the trees, illuminated by the fading light, which gave them the look of a burning forest!  All the seals had gathered to sleep on the beach. Some of them were so lazy, that they lay in the lapping waves right at the edge, rocking back and forth every time a wave swept over them.

  

 The ocean wind touches everything in the forest above, turning the branches of the trees to rust.

 

How I love the look of the forest in twilight. All the colors are so saturated by the dim light, and they take on an eerie glimmer, as if I’ve wandered unwittingly into another world.

 

If only I could knit a sweater one tenth as gorgeous as this flower, I would feel I had accomplished an amazing feat! I am going to be knitting my Top-down Unpattern with Set-in Sleeves in the same color, but it would take a magician's wand to get the same effect:

 

 It’s been great working with the Top Down Unpattern, which is laid out in a logical, straightforward way with TONS of explanatory details for the most insecure knitter! I’ve never worked with a pattern before that offered such a wealth of information on each technical aspect of the pattern: how to knit the gage swatch, how to choose and measure a template garment, how to shape the armhole, and so on. I need this, as my attempts to design a set-in sleeve on my own have been dismal failures so far. My best sweater successes have been with a top down, raglan style sweater, but the achilles heel of the raglan is the little flap that can be created under both arms. I was able to minimize that quite a bit in my project, Blue, by knitting the ribcage area with 4 inches of negative ease, and just adding in 2 inches for the bust, through darting, but that was a great deal of work, and the trace of a little flap still remains!

 

We’ll see what happens with the set-in sleeve method! I’ve completed my gage swatch, using both plain stockinette, and the “fake” circular method, where you knit to the end of the row, leave a long tail hanging, and then start at the beginning of the row again on a knit without ever purling. I do find that I tend to knit more loosely if I’m only doing rows of continuous knit, but I didn’t notice much difference on my gage swatch.

 

Now I’m off to choose my sweater template!

 

 

The Unpatterns are Upon Us!!!

 

 

Do you remember this gorgeous top-down sweater design by Karen Alfke, the creator of unpatterns? Well, I am thrilled to say that her new unpatterns have arrived! I can’t wait to get started on this top-down V-neck sweater, which I have been drooling over for months! This is the yarn and beaded-ribbon combination I will be using to knit the sweater:

 

I feel supremely honored that Karen (or Akabini, as she is known on Ravelry) has asked me to test-knit this pattern! She and I met at Stitches West, where she taught an awesome class on knitting sweaters that fit that forever changed my approach to customizing sweater patterns! I will be posting my notes on my blog as I go along. 

 Karen Alfke

Rumor has it in the new year, which is already upon us, egad! the following unpattern designs will be released: 

 

Six top-down Unpatterns:

• Set-In Sleeve Pullovers

• Set-In Sleeve Cardigans

• Raglan Pullovers

• Raglan Cardigans

• Sleeveless Pullovers

• Cardigan Vests

 

… and six bottom-up Unpatterns:

• Set-In Sleeve Pullovers

• Set-In Sleeve Cardigans

• Drop-Shoulder Pullovers

• Drop-Shoulder Cardigans

• Sleeveless Pullovers

• Cardigan Vests

 

I am excited about this new development, as I have reached the stage where I am very picky about what I am looking for in asweater  pattern. Most tops are not written to sit right on my shoulders, or go in enough at the waist to suit my particular body type, so I find myself redesigning the pattern as I go along, trying to guess my way through the modifications of someone else's original design. It is a tricky process, at best, and I am relieved to have found a tool I can use to customize my sweaters according to my measurements and needs without completely flying alone! 

  

Speaking of flying, I am off to the coast to enjoy the brooding skies and frothing waves of another stormy winter afternoon. Perhaps I'll see another wind-tossed bird with a crab in its claws, who knows? My beach house is still sitting empty at the top of the hill, and I'm hoping this will be the week that someone falls in love with it and signs a one or two-year lease! It's been sitting vacant since our tenants fell through on January 1st, so we've been spending every weekend luxuriously at the coast, looking out at the ocean from the kitchen while we drink tea. Sigh. Someday we'll live there permanently, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying all the ocean glimpses that I get.

Fanfare: The Book Cover!!!

 

 The book cover is here! I am excited that my story, “The Panchamaabhuta,” will be part of this anthology with big-name authors in the Regency Romance genre! I can’t wait until the book comes out in print! I am savoring this victory as I finish my revision of my novel, Secret Possessions, which is a much larger fish to fry. Having successfully cut the targeted 60 pages off Secret Possessions, I have placed the novel in the hands of my literary agent, who will be submitting it to publishing houses this week. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

 

 

In the meantime, I have taken a much-needed break from writing. I spent the weekend on the coast, watching the seals swimming through the stormy waves. When we hiked up on the cliffs, among the cypress trees, the wind was strong enough to bring a lot of large branches down. 

 

One crow was struggling to fly against the wild gusts with an enormous white crab in its beak! All the pelicans were skimming the water while the sea ducks dived beneath the crashing waves, seemingly having the time of their lives! Since the tide was so far in because of the storm, we were able to see the seals just a foot or two away from us, splashing in the surf. It was amazing!  Feeling at one with nature at her wildest, I soaked it all in and got thoroughly soaked myself in the process! (No photos--at least I kept my iphone dry!)

 

 

 The weekend at the stormy sea was hugely invigorating. It was almost eerie at night, out in the hills with pretty much nothing to do but stare out at the darkened ocean. Driven by the necessity to do something, I made a lot of progress on my sweater! Paisley is almost completed, front to back, which leaves the sleeves and the cowl-necked collar for me to finish:

 

Oh, how scrumptious this kidsilk haze yarn is to work with! Every single moment of knitting this is a delight! While waiting for my yarn to arrive for my black lace sweater, I amused myself with swatching for a different project altogether--Erica Knight’s lace top:

 

 

If I have the time, it is tempting to knit this in some kidsilk haze that I bought, massively discounted, when Rowan discontinued their color, Icecream, this year. It is very pale and delicate—I’m still trying to figure out if it would be wispy and beautiful or just sort of bland and boring with this super light shade combined with the small lace pattern. I am definitely going to add waist shaping, and I don't think I need that ruffle w/buttons at the top, as I will wear it underneath a V-neck blazer or cardigan. Still, I am torn between admiration and boredom as I look at my swatch. If I take the plunge into knitting something super intricate like this on size 2 needles, I don’t want to labor for months and have it turn out just so-so. What is your opinion of the color/yarn lace pattern combination? Is this a nicely subtle fabric to wear beneath a suit jacket or cardigan, or does it verge on the drab? Please be honest!

 

Yarn Ups and Downs

 

 Dorothee

 

Well, it looks like my lace project, Dorothee, has expired before it even began. Apparently, the uneven snags in the yarn are actually intentional.

 

    Louisa Harding wrote me a nice note back saying that my yarn is not actually defective, so there will be no replacements. She urged me to just “get over” the ragged texture of the knitted lace and enjoy!

        If I were an inexperienced knitter, I would probably just go on knitting with the Merletto yarn and try to convince myself that it was okay, because Louisa Harding told me so. But, having used high-quality Rowan, Handmaiden and other yarns for years to make lace, ranging all the way from Kidsilk Haze to 4-ply Cotton and Seasilk I know how important it is to make lace with yarn that offers some kind of stitch definition. Look at the contrast between these two photographs: The first, on the left, is lace knitted in Rowan 4-ply cotton: 

 

See how clear the lace pattern is that I had labored over? The second, on the right, is my lace swatch knitted in Merletto yarn. As lovely as the sparkle of the yarn is, the snarl of fuzzy linen strands woven into the fiber disguises the texture of the lace, producing a strange, lumpy fabric.

 

The worst, for me, is the random fibers that hang off the finished fabric in little snags, looking as if I tore a few threads in the door.

 

I see that I am not alone in my concerns over the Merletto yarn’s stitch definition. Another Ravelry user wrote, “I had major problems with this yarn. I purchased it to make a little pullover sweater. I thought the stitch definition was extremely poor. I was very unhappy with the way my swatch looked and I swatched in stockinette as well as a moss stitch. Luckily the yarn shop owner offered to give me a credit for the yarn I had purchased. I would never, ever puchase this yarn again - for anything.”

 

           It was helpful for me to read that comment, which validated my own experience.  Merletto has a fairly high rating on Ravelry right now, which tells me that some people are enjoying the yarn. It was because of  Merletto’s high rating that I bought the yarn, sight-unseen. Perhaps other people are having great experiences with the yarn. Ultimately, all that matters to me, is that the yarn doesn’t work for MY purposes. Over time, as I gain more confidence with my knitting, I’ve started to value my own process more. I mean, I used to get really attached to a project, and push myself to “crank it out” and finish it so I could go on to the next thing. I suppose all that hyperactivity was about proving to myself that I could knit, or something. Now I see my knitting as more of a craft. My goal is to create beautiful garments that fit me, and that means that I see myself as a craftsperson. Valuing my own work in this way, I simply am not willing to invest my time in creating something of low quality. If I’m going to knit lace, I want to knit lace that has good stitch definition so that my beautiful pattern is visible without a magnifying glass!

So, Dorothee, as a project, is dead for the purpose of the Knit a Long. I simply don't think I have the capacity to knit 4 sweaters in 3 months, and I promised myself, no new yarn until I finished 3 projects from stash. I did compromise by buying one ball of lana oro in the hopes that I can still make a lace project for the Knit A Long for a cost of less than $20. But I am consoling myself for the Merletto debacle by knitting Paisley with the truly scrumptious yarn, Kidsilk Haze. The Kidsilk Haze is doubled luxuriously to form a DK weight for my cowl-necked sweater,  Paisley.

 

What could be more pampering to the knitter's hands than this? I can’t wait to get this sweater off the needles and wear it, but the texture of the knitted fiber is so scrumptious that I’m having a fantastic time just holding it between my fingers. The wonderful experience I’m having with my tried and true yarn, Kidsilk Haze, versus the frustration I’ve experienced from my first Louisa Harding yarn just reinforces my feeling that the best way to produce predictable knitting successes, time and again, is to take a leaf out of KristenLynne’s book, and consistently knit with a stable of well- known, high quality yarn. Perhaps there are some high-quality Louisa Harding yarns out there that people depend on, again and again. Until I find one I can trust, I plan to stick to my old friends.

 

 

How to Knit a Lace Purse out of a Sow’s Ear

 Dorothee

 

The creative process is filled with unexpected discoveries and disappointments. But, until now, I’ve never worked with an actually defective yarn. I was crushed on Tuesday when I discovered that the Louisa Harding Merletto yarn that is required to knit the pattern, Dorothee exhibited disturbing flaws. Because of randomly-interspersed fibers extending an inch-long off of the strand of yarn, the lace took on a HAIRY texture I have never seen the like of, ever.

 

The resulting lace swatch looked snagged at intervals, with these strange fibers hanging off of it, as if my cat had been sharpening his claws on the lace. 

 

I heard briefly from the Louisa Harding customer service that they would look into the problem, but nothing else. I was extremely disappointed, as I’ve been excited about this sweater for a long time, and now I am literally without the yarn to make it possible! I am working on a yarn budget here, and I made a commitment to myself to knit three projects from stash before I buy the yarn for a new project. So, here I am, without the means to buy new yarn for several months, with my lace project up in smoke. All the Sexy Knitter’s Club members are chattering about their lace knitting, and I’m sitting her like the proverbial party girl, all dressed up with nowhere to go.

 What makes my yarn-lessness even more maddening is the profusion of fantastic lace fashion that is going on right now. Just look at the latest Mac ad:

 

Apparently black lace is a HUGE trend right now, as you can see in this gorgeous dress by Oscar de la Renta:

 

Susie Sweet has some fantastic advice on how to capitalize on the current trend in her ezine article, which I am quoting here: (http://ezinearticles.com/?Spring-2010---Lace!&id=3540994)

“Not too much, not too little

The key to wearing lace well is to strike a balance in the amount you wear; you don't want to wear too much and you don't want to wear too little, either. For instance, a great pair of lace tights can add a sexy feel to just about any outfit, but don't overdo it by wearing other lace-trimmed pieces at the same time. The classic lace camisole is another perfect example; wear it peeking out from underneath a blouse or a blazer to create a flash of allure without looking like a doily your grandmother crocheted in her youth.

 

Choose your colours carefully

Traditional white or cream coloured lace looks great on a wedding dress or a christening gown, but for your wardrobe it is better to stick with darker colours that look less pasty and pastel. A lovely chocolate brown, charcoal, rich navy, or coal black are all great choices that will serve you well. Be a bit cautious with too much black, though, so you don't end up looking like a widow or person in mourning.

 

Quality matters

Just as cheap quality clothing hardly ever fits correctly, neither does cheap quality lace look (or feel) quite right. Be careful of lace which is itchy and stiff or the patterns are too bold and old fashioned looking. Look for a lace which is softer and silkier, with a lovely delicate pattern; you'll be more comfortable wearing it and he'll find it much more interesting to glimpse and enjoy. Remember, lace has the unique ability to both allow a peek at your bare skin while at the same time offering some skin coverage.”

 

One of the fashion designers who best exemplifies these principles this season is Toronto-based Nada Shepherd. Nada uses the black lace top as a classic element that tempts the viewer from underneath a classic jacket or cardigan, or all by itself:

 

Naturally, no one but a fashion model is going to parade around, sans camisole, like these gals:

 

But there is something undeniably modern and fun about the way Nada incorporates these lace elements into an everyday wardrobe for a little romance. Or even for some extraordinary glamour:

 

 

After looking at these photos, my mind was spinning with all these gorgeous images, and the inspiration formed in my mind of knitting a black lace camisole that I would wear beneath a work blazer that stayed buttoned up, so that all you would see was a glimpse of the transparent lace peeking through the top neckline of the jacket. Too glamorous and sexy for words!

 

The more I thought about this idea, the more excited I became. I started flipping through some camisole-type lace knits on Ravelry that might fit the bill, and came up with these:

From left to right: Frost Flowers top by Lankakomero, Pele by Elsebeth Lavold, and  Lace Top by Erika Knight 

 

If you notice, though, what makes the Nada top so stunning (and unwearable without a protective jacket for us mere mortals not on the runway) is the openness of the lace—there is more skin than fabric there, after all!

 

To get a really dramatic effect, I needed something more flowery and romantic for my basic lace pattern. Then I remembered the Vogue Knitting Magazine from Spring/Summer 2007, that had a big spread on lace. The design #11, Lace Tank, fits the bill perfectly, as it creates a wonderful, open, flowery pattern at the top of the camisole, which will be exposed by the neckline of the jacket. I plan to raise the neckline even more, to create a real crewneck, like the Nada design:

#11 Lace tank by Nancy Cassels 

Of course, I still don’t have any yarn, and I am afraid that by the time I complete three sweaters from scratch, the knit along will have passed me by. At some point, my common sense pulled me out of my wallowing about my yarnless state. Since I want a sheer top I realized I could knit it using laceweight yarn, which tends to be very affordable. Doing some research, I found that Merino Oro sells in a 1300 yard skein for less than $20. In other words, I could knit my entire dream sweater for a twenty-dollar ball of black yarn. Voilà. This transforms the Merletto yarn debacle from a sow’s ear into a proverbial silk purse of glamorous lace! 

Lace is a Big Trend in 2010!

Marc Jacobs, 2010 Photo by Matteo Volta 

 

 

The Sexy Knitter’s Club on Ravelry seems to be in synch with the latest fashions—apparently, lace is appearing everywhere in the designer previews for Spring, 2010! Several fashion reports are describing sheer, “lingerie” effects everywhere in spring looks, as well as lace made of leather and even lace leggings. Petals in dresses, shoes, and tops and sheer fabrics also abound!

To quote from Nana’s article on bluefly:

http://flypaper.bluefly.com/archives/2009/10/milan-fashion-week-the-5-spring-2010-trends-we-cant-wait-for.html

“Lace has been taken out of the attic, shaken out, and infused with cool in the spring '10 shows. In London, Caroline Charles and Jasper Conran were among the designers who used the sometimes treacly fabric to create lush, luxe, and hipster looks. In Milan, Marni's spring 2010 also featured a cool not-your-Grandma's lace tunic dress..”

 

The red hipster dress Nana is referring to is this one:

 Marni, Milan

 

As I mentioned in my last post, lace that is knitted in a saturated, vibrant color, such as the red dress above, has a more contemporary look.  If you plan to knit in white, you might consider a geometrical pattern unless you are deliberately trying for an old-fashioned style. Here is the 2010 fashion take on the white lace tunic:

 

 

 The predominant style of lace sweaters on the runway for 2010 seems to be a tunic. Both tunics and dresses create a long, elegant line on the body that keeps the lace fabric from looking overdone. 

European knitting patterns are a great source of designs that emulate this style. Phildar, Verena, and S. Charles all offer patterns of geometrical lace designs that create a long, elegant line on your body . In contrast, American and British lace designs these days seem a bit more fussy or retro to me. I am a big fan of retro clothing, actually:

 

 But I think you have to be careful when you select “old-fashioned” garment styles so that they really flatter your figure and don’t age you too much. Also, let's face it, there aren't that many opportunities to integrate retro clothing into day-to-day work life unless you choose your pieces carefully or work in a very permissive environment.

 

The fun part about these Spring 2010 looks is that the old fashioned fabric, lace, is being combined with a modern style to create a striking contrast. I am excited that designers are having fun with lace at last! It is certainly one of my favorite textures.

Here are my favorite European lace knitting patterns that match this season’s long, lean looks:

1.   Emerald, by Verena:

 

 

2.    Raspberry Sorbet, by Verena:

 

  

4.    Ceylon and Kyoto Ribbed Tank by S. Charles:

 

(not actually lace, but has a lacy, transparent effect)

 

5.    Siam Lacy V-neck Tunic by S. Charles

 

 

6.   Minidress by Verena:

 

 

 

7.     For Something Sexy, Kyoto and Muse Camisole by S. Charles:

 

 

 

Lace Style

 

The Sexy Knitter’s Club is starting a new knit-a-long, centered around lace. I am very excited that lace was chosen, as there is nothing more entertaining than the mental puzzle of deciphering a lace pattern. I became so obsessed with lace when I started knitting that I refused to knit a sweater unless it had yarn overs in it somewhere. But when I took a leaf out of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style last year and looked at my wardrobe with a critical eye, I was forced to admit that there are some pitfalls to wearing knitted lace garments.

 

Pitfall #1: Transparency

 

Some styles of lace tops look a lot better with a camisole underneath them than others. At first, my lace obsession blinded me to the sometimes awkward or even risqué effect of wearing a sweater that had lace accents with nothing but a nude bra beneath. These sweaters didn’t reveal that much, but the overall effect was still a bit of a “peekaboo” distraction, that drew attention away from me, to the little holes interspersed in my garment. 

 

When I discovered this by looking at myself closely in the mirror, I switched to wearing a white camisole beneath all my lace sweaters. But that is not always a good look. However beautiful my “lace nightie” inspired top is because of the Handmaiden Sea Silk, the conflicting colors and straps of the top and bottom camisoles drive me to distraction.

 

The straps never line up perfectly together, and there are the bra straps to deal with as well. An excellent suggestion was made to me that I wear a strapless tube top and bra underneath this camisole to avoid that problem, and that is probably a great idea for most people. Unfortunately for me, I get so uncomfortable in strapless bras and tops that I would probably be pulling at my neckline all evening. Ever since my high school friend’s strapless dress and bra slipped halfway through a dance at Senior Prom, I’ve been a bit paranoid about the strapless thing. In my memory, the kids were batting the party baloons around the dance floor, and when my friend stretched up her hand to catch the baloon, her dress and bra traveled in the opposite direction, and her date’s eyes bugged almost out of his head.

 

The Solution:

 

Sarah Hatton’s Rowan design, Eerie, is perhaps my favorite example of a lace/camisole combination.  Obviously, with a top consisting entirely of lace, there is no option but to wear something underneath it unless you are REALLy going for a sexy look. But I think this particular style of lace top is perfect for a white camisole. The two garments match each other in color and airiness, and the overall effect is ethereal, in keeping with the name of the sweater. Here is my ethereal photo to match.

 

In my opinion, Kim Hargreaves’ design, The Chevron Lace top, is also a good combination with a white camisole underneath.

 

What both Eerie and the Chevron Lace Top have in common is that they provide full-shouldered coverage, so instead of the eye being drawn to camisole straps, it focuses instead on the full effect of the lace pattern against a white backdrop. It helps that these lace sweaters are knitted in summer colors and worn with white pants that match the white camisole underneath, creating an overall light effect.

 

Keeping those discoveries in mind, I am choosing to knit Louisa Harding’s Dorothee for my lace project in the SKC Knit A Long.

 

This is simply one of the most romantic and feminine designs that I have seen for a long time. The shine and delicate color of the yarn are a good match to the ethereal look of the lace, and there is full-shoulder coverage, ensuring that the straps of the camisole I wear underneath will not be a distraction. Because the overall effect is metallic, I am rather tempted to wear either a rose-colored camisole that matches the yarn, or a metallic camisole that echoes the highlights of the metal finish.

 

Pitfall #2 Ribbons and Lazy Finishing

 

My biggest pet peeve with a lot of the lace garment patterns out there is how little effort the designer seems to put into giving them a finished look.

 

Most of these sweaters look incomplete to me. It’s as if the lace is supposed to be enough in itself, and the designer doesn’t expect you to actually WEAR the garment. My feeling about that is, if I am just knitting lace for its own sake, I’m going to make a blanket or a scarf. If I am knitting a garment, I expect it to be finished with more than a ribbon. Here is what inevitably happens to these knitted ties and ribbons over time:

 Lydia, by Rowan

They deteriorate and grow floppy, so you have to keep them tied together or disguise them somehow!

 

One of the things that I like so much about the Dorothee pattern is that cables and ribbing are used to finish the edges of the garment, giving it a crisper look. 

 

However, I am not happy with the wavy edge at the bottom of the cables, and am thinking of maybe starting off with a few rows of ribbing to give the sweater more structure at the bottom

Lydia, by Rowan 

Speaking of limp, droopy ribbons and ties, in my opinion, the third and final pitfall of lace sweaters is that some of the designs look too young or too old for most of us knitters.

Pitfall #3: Age Appropriateness. The danger of lace sweaters is that they edge towards one of two categories: little princesses decked out with ribbons and bows, or grandma. Not that there’s anything wrong with identifying with either category. It’s just that when a thirty-something woman decks herself out with a pink, ribbony top, it may not be her best look.

Rowan's Eveleen 

Do you know who likes my version of Eveleen more than anyone else? My cousin’s five year old daughter. I don’t think that's a coincidence. I should have knitted Eveleen for her instead. Little Emily was so enamored of this knitting project when she saw it at the age of four, that a year later she insisted that i teach her how to knit and purl. If I’m being honest with myself here, at the age of 39, sweaters like this are more appropriate for her than for me.

 

 Kelmscott

At the opposite end of the spectrum, lace sweaters can be ageing, making us look older than we are.  Particularly if they are knitted in white or pastels. I will probably call the ire of many knitters on my head by saying this, but when I saw the pattern, Kelmscott, the first thing that popped into my mind was that the wide, lace shawl collar, particularly in white, gave the young woman who was wearing it a spinsterish, old-fashioned look. It is a popular pattern, and I am sure beautiful versions will be made of it using a more dynamic colors or other modifications that will give it a more contemporary look. I am looking forward to seeing the variations of  Kelmscott that are knitted in the Sexy Knitter’s Group. Everyone has their own opinion of what is stylish. But I think there is no getting away from the fact that many of us unconsciously associate lace with an old-fashioned, grandmotherly character, or with a little girl, and we should keep those archetypes in mind when we are eyeing the amazing variety of knitted lace patterns, looking for the one that most perfectly fits our own style.

Knitting Resolutions

This is a fun time of year to be in the chat rooms of Ravelry, which are all buzzing with excitement about new projects and new resolutions for creativity in the New Year! How can I help being more excited about my knitting goals than my resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, and keep the house clean?

 

Resolution One: Knit 100 balls of yarn in 2010

One of the most intriguing New Year challenges I saw on Ravelry this week was the 100 ball knit down in 2010 initiated by the Stash Down Group. After I saw this challenge, I was so excited that I went back over all the projects I completed in 2009 to evaluate how I measured up. Since yarn changes so much according to cone, skein, weight and so on, I adopted a suggested standard of 50grams, or 100 yards. Applying this metric to my knitting last year, I was excited to discover that I had knitted over 10,500 yards of yarn, or 105 balls. The result was 15 completed sweaters and two scarves.  Wow! No wonder a spider has been allowed to take up residence in the kitchen cupboard, and the windows haven’t been washed in months! It seems that when I should have been picking up the vacuum, I was cleaning out my stash instead. Note to self: Add “clean more, knit less” to list of New Year’s resolutions.

It is interesting to note that I average about 1,000 yards of yarn per sweater in 2009. Perhaps this knowledge will help me plan better when I buy yarn on sale for future projects, and it becomes a permanent addition to my stash. Which brings me to my other New Year's resolution...

 

 

3 to 1 Rule for Yarn Purchases in 2010

I am committing to finishing three projects from stash before I buy new yarn to start a new project. My hope is that this way, I can do 2/3rds of my knitting from stash next year without limiting my ability to go out and fall in love with new designs and new projects. Going “Cold Sheep” is not for me—I find it too limiting to my imagination and my creativity—but I am eager to get my hands on some of the lovely silk and wool yarns that I bought on sale that are lingering in my stash.

 

More specifically:

 Calmer + Kidsilk Haze

1.  

The Calmer/Kidsilk Haze combination will become a top-down

                     “Unpattern” sweater that will be trimmed with beaded lace. 

 Top-down Unpattern by Karen Alfke

As soon as that pattern comes out, I will be knitting up a storm!

 

 Handmaiden Seasilk: Periwinkle

 

2.   Handmaiden Seasilk. Once a year or so, handmaiden releases 150 gram balls of seasilk that are equivalent to 660 yards, as opposed to their usual 440 yard skeins, yet they sell for almost the same price! I took advantage of this to buy about 1800 yards of periwinkle seasilk that I am dying to work with once I recover from the four-month ordeal of having knitted the Sea Sweater on size two needles! Here is an example of a shawl that was knitted, using this yarn on a vendor's website:

 

 

 This kind of fine knitting is not for the fainthearted, but look at the results! I am thinking of making an elegant, long-sleeved V-neck sweater or jacket with this yarn, but I haven't yet found a pattern that is beautifully tailored enough to be worthy of the seasilk!

3.  

 Phildar Soie

Phildar Soie. 

     Phildar discontinued their 100% silk yarn last year, so I was able to buy enough to knit a short-sleeved sweater at almost 50% off. It is a scrumptious raspberry color, and the sheen and drape of the silk are so beautiful that I plan to do an extremely simple project to show off the yarn, such as, perhaps, a version of Wendy Bernard’s Pink with short-sleeves.

But first, I must knit Paisley!

The yarn shipped off today, so I should receive it by Friday. I plan to spend a lovely weekend on the coast swatching for Paisley with the ultra delicious kidsilk haze, when I'm not cleaning (darn it--there's that resolution again!)