Sassy Does It

Sheer Poncho is gunning her engines to hit the (insured, heavily tracked) mail to Holland today.

While I’m just a smidge over two months late for Kymber’s birthday, I console my tardy self with the knowledge that this cashmere wrap is still likely to take the chill out of my friend’s North Sea-swept days on the beach, however sunny and un-January they may now be (since it’s pretty much April).  If you want to get to know Kymber (also a knitter) and her Netherlands-filled adventures in mommyhood, check out her splendidly-written blog here.  I love it.

Allison suggested that the name for this knitted creation should be something other than “Sheer Poncho”, and although I’ve gotten used to calling it that, I quite agree.  Poncho does invoke the feeling of an itchy acrylic crocheted number that you wear on Easter when you’re eight, so as much as there’s a bit of nostalgia there that I appreciate, I think we could do better.

I think “Seamless Cowlneck Wrap” is more modern-sounding, although not as exotic as “Utterly Glorious Wrap”, like Allison suggested.  The thing is, it makes me uncomfortable (like climbing the rope in gym class) to change the name of the pattern as christened by the designer.  What if somebody is Googling for other people’s notes on this pattern, and then I’ve gone and changed it so they won’t find mine?  Isn’t that the whole point of the blog-sharing thing?

You know in your heart I’d give it a more glamourous name if I could bring myself to do it.  That’ll have to be enough.

Pattern:  Sheer Poncho by Amy Arifin, available for free here

Yarn:  Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere (2-ply) in colorway 50, Driftwood;  about 3 skeins

Needle:  US 5 / 3.75 mm, Addi Turbo all the way

Finished, unstretched dimensions for the fourth pattern size as written (1=smallest, 6=largest); designed to fit stretched bust width of 48 inches, including both arms:

• Neck width (at narrowest): 12.5 inches
• Cowl width (at bind-off):  21.5 inches
• Width across shoulders:  19.5 inches
• Width at bottom:  29 inches
• Length, top of shoulders to bottom:  18 inches
• Length, neck (at narrowest) to bottom:  25 inches
• Total length, including fully-extended cowl:  35 inches

Overall, what’s not to like here?  She’s a beaut.  There’s nothing about this finished project that isn’t satisfying and fabulous.  This is the kind of garment that I’d like to think could be worn everywhere:  casual enough in the swooshy drape of its cowl to look great with jeans, yet elegant enough to play dress up.  One Crafty Writer told me she’s making one as her wedding shawl (can’t wait to see it)!

As you know, I’m smitten with cowls, so the generous overspill at the neckline pleases my little eye.  This cowl is so wide and roomy that it can be draped over toward one shoulder and still have room to rest gracefully.

I like the smooth, steady look of the line of increases down each shoulder/arm, gliding right through the otherwise uninterrupted seamless sumptuousness of the round-the-body wrap. 

The pattern doesn’t suggest a certain type of increase, so I decided after a little trial-and-error that KFB (knit one front, knit one back in same stitch) would work best.  I like the even, symmetrical look of these increases on both sides of the stitch marker.

Another pattern tip, before I forget:  bind off fairly loosely at the bottom of the body.  Not as important for the cowl, but it is important for the body, especially if you’re using a fragile and/or non-stretchy fiber.

This could have easily been knit with just three skeins of Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere (at 400 yds each, about 1200 yards total).  I had extra on hand, so I went ahead and made the cowl extra-swooshy without fear of it not being long enough (I actually put the body on a stitch holder when about 3/4 complete so I could switch to attaching/finishing the cowl first).

The wham-bam 25% everyday bulk discount from WEBS for this yarn brought the cashmere splash into range for me.  The sad thing is I’ve never bought anything cashmere for myself - yarn or garment - but this gave a great excuse to start. 

The softness of the finished fabric is everything that it seemed it should be.  More, probably.  I was ready to be underwhelmed (perhaps as a way to justify my frugal resistance to buying cashmere for so long), but it’s. just. so. freaking. nice. to touch.  The yarn wasn’t at all splitty and was very easy to work with; low breakage once I got going.  The single strand, even though 2-ply, is fragile, it’s true (I did recover from my initial man-handling syndrome unwinding the first hank), but I think that goes with the cashmere territory, especially at this fine gauge. 

The fine gauge is what creates such a gentle, sexy drape, however - and puts that bit of sheer into Sheer Poncho.  But not too much sheer - as you can see, it’s not like I’m flashing my boobies here.

I thought I might be put out by the reverse stockinette all-purl look of the wide-end cowl, since the knit side is for the most part tucked underneath when the cowl is left to naturally drape from the neck.  But I like it.  The fine stitching makes the purl side look more fetching than I normally give it credit for, and my instinct to want to somehow modify the pattern to compensate (e.g., knit it twice as long to double-back over itself and seam) subsided once I saw the smooth, even finish of both sides of the fabric.

The color of the fiber was sometimes hard to capture with my camera, even in natural light.  Often it looks too light or too grey in photos:  the true hue is an almost-imperceptibly heathered mid-range sandy khaki.  In soft mood lighting it’s a deeper tan, like a light mocha.  Very pretty indeed. 

Beware of the color chart on the Jade Sapphire website; colorway 50, Driftwood, looks way darker there - although I’d done my Ravelry homework and the lighter shade I received was exactly what I’d sought/expected.  Perhaps there’s some variation in the colorway…but more likely it’s poor photography on the manfacturer’s site.

The only thing I’m not 100% sure about is the rolled hem.  It’s a non-issue on the cowl end because the fabric’s all rolling over itself in the drape anyway.  Even for the bottom hem, I’ve settled on it looking perfectly fine - especially since this is not in a my mind a super-dressy item, but one that looks great for everyday wear.  Ways I could have addressed this, had I decided to:

1. Block it with my flexible blocking wire and hope that it would stay flat once worn and, later, cleaned
2. Make a tiny seam all the way around the bottom for a more finished look

But, nah - it looks real purty just the way it is.  Kymber can seam it if she likes it better that way.

I wasn’t sure whether to get this fabric wet to block or not; but since I really like to do this (so often the difference in stitch uniformity is striking, even when you don’t think you need it), I went for it, after a little homework.  Seems like some people are too frightened to mess with cashmere (understandably) and go for dry cleaning, but enough people routinely hand-wash their cashmere that I wasn’t too worried.  It turned out just lovely after a quick dip in lukewarm water with a bit of Eucalan.

The pattern pics show this as potentially being worn three ways; as shown above, as well as either A) with the cowl pulled up over the head or B) with the body pulled further down to make it a dress. 

So of course I tried the over-the-head thing:  it certainly works, but it looks a little dorky, IMHO.  I guess if you got a chill you could whip up the cowl as a hood and continue on your way.  I gotta believe that most people would end up looking more chic than I do wearing it this way, though, because I’ve kinda got a long giraffe neck that stretches it too much.  Sissy B, who helped with the photos, had to agree on this point - that’s why there’s no evidence here showing that option.

I also didn’t include photos of the dress suggestion:  uh, there’s no way that would’ve worked for me, and I have to say it wouldn’t for pretty much anyone who doesn’t have freaky Barbie dimensions.  I’d need more than double D’s to keep that sucker up at the top.  If the dress option was important, you could reel in the cowl width - but I simply knit it as written.

The only area that I felt that pattern was a little off was in the length.  Obviously this is a super-straightforward pattern, so you can just stop knitting when it’s long enough; but as written, the increases toward the lower end of the poncho (body) went on too long for me.  I could have done without the last few increase rows (in my size, this was every 9 rows) and just skipped to knitting even for the last few inches.  As it was I eyeballed it and stopped when I was ready, as I’m sure anyone who knits this would do.

If it were me, now that it would seem I’ve been let in (let myself in - duh) to the Cashmere-Wearing Club, it would be silly to save the wonderfulness of a garment like this for only special occasions.  Kymber’s still nursing Little K, so it occurred to me that while wearing this she could shield the nip from public consumption (if she could find a situation in Europe where this is actually necessary!) while at the same time shielding Little K from blustery breezes. 

On the other hand, she could whip this out for a stylin’ trip to the local beach bars.  Go ahead!  Spill a little (white) wine on it (just not while nursing).  It’ll survive.  Break it in, wear it, love it.

However Kymber enjoys it - even as folded in her drawer - I hope she feels the love and tenderness imparted with every stitch.  Happy (Big) Birthday to my dear friend.

Oh.  Hmmmmm.  Boy, I hope she’s not allergic to cashmere.  That would suck.

Color me pink, Sheer Poncho is off the needles (again), this time for good.  It’s currently blocking and you’ll have full details shortly.

I’ve been making modest progress on the as-yet-undisclosed summer baby gift, which I’m liking.  I’m traveling this week, so I’ll have some plane time to crank on it.

In other baby-item news, I noticed that another Curlicue-maker finished her project this week.  Rowan liked mine (*blush*) and crafted hers in a lovely oatmeal color.  Very cuddly-looking.  Curlicue was so much fun to make that I’ve still got a soft spot for it.  Go, Curlicue, go.

In addition to hitting the summer baby gift this week, I’m also going to resurrect the terribly neglected Raindrop Lace Socks that have been hibernating under my bed, where I found them poking out this weekend.  I’m nearly ready to turn the heel on those suckers, so after a bit more effort it should be fairly smooth sailing to the end.

This leaves my mind to wander about what’s next in my queue; something that will require forethought before any yarn can pounce on a pair of vacant needles.  It’s all very exciting. 

Something summery comes to mind, but sadly, the devil on my shoulder is telling me I might as well just start working on wooly jumpers and Christmas gifts, since I never seem to leave enough time for this type of thing once the weather starts to turn chilly.

Hmmm.  We’ll see if the angel fights back and demands something light and lovely to be knit for me, myself, and I.

The photo shoot with Maizy is a wrap, so now I can share my review of this pattern (as modified from women’s size to child’s) and the final product.

Original pattern:  More Fun Than Cables Socks by Marguerite Byrne, available for free at Stitches of Violet (Ravelry link)

My modified pattern:  More Fun Than Cables Socks (children’s knee-highs); mini-me version to fit 3- to 4-year old feet (Ravelry link to project notes)

Yarn:  Valley Yarns Huntington (machine washable wool) in colorway 4150

Needle:  US 3 circular (I routinely use the 2-at-a-Time method for socks on one circular, but pattern is written for use on two circulars; could be used with traditional dpn method)

Finished dimensions:  calf circumference = 4.25 inches (unstretched), knee to heel top = 11 inches, back of heel to end of toe = nearly 7 inches

In reducing the overall number of stitches to fit the foot size of a 3- to 4-year old, I needed to make some adjustments to the pseudo-cable pattern that repeats, and to accommodate a knee-high fit, I also modified the length.  You can review my adjustments via this modified pattern link in PDF format (also above) or through my Patterns link on the sidebar to the right.

I’m really happy with how these turned out:  I mean, come on, is Maizy not adorable in the bright-red knee-highs?  And tell me the fingernails in the picture above aren’t the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.  I love my niece, I really do.  She is so stylin’.

They come up right to her knees - bingo, right on target - and appear to fit her very well; tight enough around the calf to stay up.  I made sure to shoot on the long side for foot length so that she can wear these puppies for close to a year (assuming they hold up!).

Sissy B tells me that she’s enjoyed wearing them several times already, tying them in with outfits of all colors, including some (like hot pink) that grown women might not normally pair with red.   That’s my girl:  fashion-forward.

Sizing-wise, if you would like to make any further tweaks to size slightly up or down in age, I used a couple of resources in determining foot length for children of various ages, among other dimensions (length from knee to ankle, calf circumference…this second link is a lot of data, but I’m a nerd, as you’ve already heard on this subject).  If your wee recipient isn’t within reach to do the measurements in person, this info might come in handy.

I like the Huntington yarn (by Valley Yarns, procured from WEBS).  Soft yet sturdy, smoothly sliding down my non-Addi Turbo cheapo needles.   Not splitty at all - very easy to work with.  I’ve already drooled all over the perfect shade of red.

My research prior to ordering the yarn indicated that the yarn could be both machine-washed and tumble-dried (although the latter isn’t on the label). 

I’ll ask Sissy B how the fabric stands up over time.  Although machine-washing will probably be her choice moving forward, she said she hand-washed after Maizy road-tested them for the first time (getting them nice and dirty, like a good girl should).  Maizy modeled the socks for the photos here after that wash.  I noticed a bit of white fuzz clinging at this point, but not pilling.

These nearly made it entirely out of one skein.  You can see here how close to the toe ends my last bit of first skein stopped (in the 2-at-a-Time method, I pull from both the middle yarn and the outside strand to knit each sock on a different portion of the circular needle at the same time).

I used only 10-15 yards of my second skein in order to finish up with the foot length I wanted.  In fact, so eager was I to manage to crank these out from just the one skein (even though the second one was sitting right there) that I finished these socks once with a shorter length (around 6.25 inches instead of closer to 7).  And these would have fit Maizy now, on the tighter side…but given that the foot length is the dimension that will change the most for her in the next year, I wanted room to grow.  Plus there might be some shrinkage in the laundry.  You know.

So I ripped back re-did them to add that extra 3/4 inch.  Worth it.  Happy I did.

Overall, two thumbs up for both pattern and yarn.  Comment away with any questions.

More soon on other progress, which I’m happy to report has actually occurred.  Sheer Poncho was off the needles, as in off off, but a stretchier bind-off is needed…so it’s back on the needles.  Heavens to Betsy, if I don’t have it ready for mailing to Kymber by the end of the weekend I’m gonna be in my own dog house.

The bold red in-your-face knee-highs for Maizy are off the needles, finally.

Official FO post will come once I’ve got proof that they actually fit on the 3-year-old recipient’s feet.  After I’ve sent them off and Sissy B can send me back some glamour shots, I’ll include those with the post, along with my adapted pattern and comments.

I did a Eucalan wash last night and then set these little guys to block.  I didn’t need to pin as it was easy enough to shape to the dimensions to which I’d knit.

After a wash, a few rinses and another wash, the pink water told me that the rinse water might need a smidgen of vinegar to help set the dye.

Did a little research and found nothing terribly convincing one way or the other as to whether this was the right way to go, so I went ahead and tossed about a teaspoon into my (small) bathroom sink full of lukewarm rinse water.

One more rinse and then no color bleed at all in the water.  This fiber (Huntington, from Valley Yarns) is meant to be machine washable and dryable, so I think as long as Sissy B sticks with cold water she’ll be fine.  There’s nothing like a bright red sock in the hot water of that load of whites to ruin your day.

Anyhoo, these puppies are looking and feeling soft and lovely.  I’ll have some closer-up views of the pattern with the FO post.  Right now I’m trying not to fondle them until they’re completely dry.

I’m deep in Cowl Country with my Sheer Poncho.  I really am very near completion.

See?

The cowl neck is a little constrained by the circular needle in this photo, but you get the picture.  I think I need another 2 inches or so on the cowl, at least that’s when I’ll weave through a length of yarn to hold it and do a final fit.

Another 3 inches or so of length in the body I think will do it as well. 

Maybe tonight will be the night I get this done.  OK, maybe not.

In other news…

The yarn fairy made a visit this week.  Hurrah!  Fortunately it was not a random splurge, but the other kind of splurge:  premeditated (it still sounds naughty, doesn’t it?).

It had occurred to me that another baby-induced deadline was creeping up on me and I hadn’t gotten it together to plan my project.  Upon realizing this, it was a minor miracle that it didn’t take me forever to narrow the shortlist of queued patterns in my head and pounce on the yarn.  I’m getting quicker at these sort of not-as-serious-and-lengthy-as-I-try-to-make-them decisions.

My love affair with Blue Sky Alpacas continues, but at least I’m spreading the torrid affection around in that family.

The pattern I’ve landed on - which I will attempt to keep a secret from the receiver of the gift for now - called for a finer gauge than the organically-grown dyed cotton (4-5 st/in) I’d used for my last baby item, so I was looking for something lighter-weight (5-6 st/in).

I didn’t start out considering Blue Sky, thinking I should try to find something entirely new to me.  I liked the organic approach though, for all things baby, and I wanted to stick with cotton for the summer months.

A Ravelry yarn search for “organic cotton” showed me plenty of choices, but I got distracted by someone’s glowing review of Skinny Organic and it put me right back into bed with Blue Sky Alpacas.

Oh, well - until I’ve tried the whole line, I don’t see the harm in checking out all the different variations of wonderful that they offer, right?  I mean each yarn is unique, right?

So I went for it, although I decided that I’d go for more color than going solely with the 100% naturally-occurring hues of Birch or Clay offered in the Skinny Organic line.  I did pick out a skein of Birch (colorway 30) to use as a trim and selected Pear (colorway 312, a new addition) from the Skinny Dyed collection (organically grown fibers with colors created by low-impact dyes) as my main color.

It arrived this week, and as we all are when the postie drops the care package at our door, I was over the moon.  I love these shades together, and this fiber will make a beautiful baby item.

Here’s a little swatch to tease you.

More deets on on this project as it gets closer to the date I’m ready to gift it.

Over and out.  Starting to get that Sunday-night ick feeling, so I better go eat something to make it all better.