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.

I’ve cast on something new. My poor second sock and Fisherman’s Sweater sigh collectively in their relegation to the bench. Sorry guys - I got distracted by a couple of balls of yarn in my stash, and I gave in to the ADD.

Speaking of. I can’t focus on telling you about my new project until I post a few pics that have recently grabbed my (fleeting, fickle) attention in the way of inspiring future knitting or sewing ventures.

The other day I was driving along and saw a billboard with a super-cute cowlneck sweater - didn’t get a great look, but long enough of one that I saw it was a Gap ad. Here’s what I saw, revealed again to me in more detail later online:

Cowlneck pullover, at Gap

Completely cute.  I’m such a sucker for cowls, I really really am.  I want everything to be available in a cowlneck.  So cozy, and so cool-looking.  This one is cotton knit, available in the color shown (”terrain”), charcoal, and heather gray.

“Cool-looking” is a bit vague (as well as juvenile, but there you go) - let me be more specific.  It looks sophisticated, to my eye; the way the fabric gracefully swirls into an artful arrangment, tossing light around, managing to look classy without trying too hard.  This Gap version is especially casual-looking with the i-cords and the short sleeves, paired with a striped long-sleeved tee.

If I were to knit this, I may want longer sleeves.  It’s a fine-gauge knit, which makes it even nicer-looking, but alas, more daunting to knit, which makes it less likely to happen.

I’m not saying I’m going to run out to the Gap to buy one ($34 isn’t hugely expensive, but…I’d rather get it on sale).  However.  They do have these available in Tall sizes, which is just so awesome, regardless of the fact that the sleeves aren’t actually long, such as to require a Tall size to make them longer for monkey arms.  The long torso would be fully covered, though - no inadvertent belly shots.  I feel like I should patronize Gap and Banana Republic more than my once-a-year average so that they keep the Talls in their portfolio.

Hmmm.  Maybe I need to buy one just for research purposes.  In case I get around to making a knock-off of my own, like in 30 years’ time.  Hmmmm.

All that joyful day-dreaming, just from one glance at a billboard.

In the not-quite-the-same-but-close category, the two designs below ended up under my gaze a few weeks ago via a banner on MSN.com.  Normally I don’t click on these things (I’m not usually that ga-ga about being fashion-forward), but what can I say?  I did.  These are definitely just eye candy for me as well:  the pretty little pictures clicked me through to Neiman Marcus, where my pocketbook doesn’t normally allow me to tread.  Anyhoodie:

Hooded cardigan, at Neiman Marcus

Sweater coat, at Neiman Marcus.

Did someone say hoodie?  The first one, on the left, looks soooo cozy. 

You can barely tell it has a hoodie from the front; not that there’s anything wrong with looking like you have a hoodie.  What I mean is that it has a very clean, simple look with straight yet soft lines on the front.  I like the hoodie-in-the-back part because it keeps the sweater from taking itself too seriously.  This kind of feels like a “business in the front, party in the back” cardigan - you know, like a mullet.  Except much, much, much less scary.

The price tag to obtain this look, however, at least from Neiman Marcus, is a wee bit steeper than a mullet.  This was priced at a few hundred bucks…cashmere blend, you see.

The price of the sweater coat on the right was approaching two thousand dollars (not in Monopoly money, either).  I didn’t bother to take specific note for a wish list of any kind because I’m a normal person and I wouldn’t go spending 2 Gs on a sweater coat, no matter how pretty it is.

But since very few of us are actually going to go out and buy it, let’s just skip ahead to talking about how pretty it is indeed, because that part is free.  I know what you’re saying:  another cowlneck?  Well, that’s what I thought at first, hence the initial draw.  But the item description said it’s an “attached scarf”, which I can see, upon closer inspection.  This too, is knit in cashmere.  I don’t care if it’s cashmere or not (although if I had the money to burn - I’ll take the cashmere) - I just really really like the design.  In a more durable fiber, this would be a great go-to, wear-it-all-the-time staple.  I love the look, and it would be fairly easy to construct something similar on the fly, I think.

The last design that caught my eye recently is one would be in the sewing vein.

 

Tweed dress, at Neiman Marcus

Tell me, is this not the cutest little dress you ever did see?

Not so much in a garden-party summer dress kind of way, but more in a polished, I’m-feeling-quite-pulled-together-today kind of way.  Now I’m not a size 0, which I’m sure is the size the model is sporting (my booty can only occasionally squeeze into a single-digit size…well, maybe less than occasionally; in theory, I guess it could, like if I quit eating for a couple of weeks), but I think this could be a flattering size on anyone.  Almost anyone.  The shoulders would have to be a bit broader than average to accomodate my frame, especially with the cap sleeves (which very often on me look like a mistake, perhaps the result of a good shrinking in the dryer).  But.  If I were to embark on, say, a sewing project (bringing my machine out of the hibernation it’s been in for the last year or so), I could make it to fit.

So.  The snaps above have been inspiring me as I think about projects on the horizon.

Back to the project I’ve cast on.

I discovered Wendy Bernard’s website, Knit and Tonic, via MLE’s blog (MLE Knits - love Emily - get it?  M-L-E …emmm-elllll-eeeeee).  Wendy is the author of recently-released and already very popular Custom Knits, which MLE reviewed here, and I think looks like a great book.  It’s now on my Amazon Wish List, where all my dreamy pattern books hang out until I can afford to tell the boys over at Amazon to pick it off the shelf and send it - rescuing it for my exclusive perusal.

Wendy is great.  She’s got a daughter that’s only a bit older than my niece Maizy.  She calls her daughter Girlfriend, which I love.  Her writing is so much fun to read; you feel like you know her.  She’s fabulous yet not imtimidating.  Her photos of projects are well-considered and creative; often the photo seems more like a potrait being created, it so happens, whilst the model is engaged in some kind of activity fitting with the knit design (à la Rowan - you know what I mean).  Her snapshots make me feel like I’ve been pulled into her movie set.  [Director's notes in the margin: Gorgeous yet down-to-earth woman enters stage left; she walks gracefully through her lovely, bright, inviting home, adorable daughter in tow.  She moves through to the garden, peering over her shoulder into the camera's lens as the stunning knitwear she wears catches the glowing light of dusk, the scene thus enhanced by the play of light and shadows.]

In other words, she’s hot stuff.  Oh, and did I mention that these knits as featured are of her own design?  Yeah, that’s right.  She also has a few patterns that are free, which I’ll get to in a minute.

Needless to say, her blog is quite popular.  There’s a lot to look at.  I started with the links under her Photo Album section in the left sidebar, which drew me in with links called The Winners and The Losers: her buckets for categorizing FOs.

The Zephyr Gals, at ZephyrStyle.com, promoting the 2008 Race for the Cure

I discovered the Zephyr gals while stalking visiting Wendy’s site.  One look and I knew these two were my kind of chicas.  They are the starter-uppers of Zephyr Style, a site through which they offer great original knitting designs (I liked Green Gable, which I’d initially seen on Wendy’s blog). 

The Zephyr Style blog is located here, just in case, like me, you’d like to lurk for a long, long time get to know them.

My heavens, I keep getting distracted.

Here’s the start of my new project - hopefully off the needles very soon because it was only meant to be a quickie:

Beginning of Short Snort Girlfriend Tank, by Wendy Tan (KnitandTonic.com)

It’s Wendy’s Short Snort Girlfriend Tank, available for free on her Knit and Tonic site.

Simple pattern, but fun.  Upon seeing it I became inspired to find a loving knit-home for two balls of Louisa Harding Coquette that I’d picked up on clearance a few weeks back.  At 73 yards each, this amount wasn’t going to make much, but the wee sparkles were calling my name at the time.  Or rather, Maizy’s name, since she is the person I thought would enjoy them the most.

I didn’t have quite enough to make the tank completely in Coquette, so I thought perhaps I’d stripe it by mixing in some run-of-the-mill white.  I swatched it and liked what I saw.  Even if it’d be a bit more work, I decided it would be worth it.

See how it sparkles?

The gauge was spot-on with the two fibers held together, and pretty darn close with just the white (standard baby-weight acrylic left over from a previous project - the label is long gone).  I decided it would be funky to alternate fairly randomly between white, blue, and both colors combined.   The gauge with the skinny blue-sparkles fiber alone (a.k.a. Coquette) was a little peek-a-boo on my size US 6 needles, but a couple rows here and there seemed to give it a fun texture.  Why not?

So far so good.  I really like it.  The project’s not a major commitment at under 250 yds total, but little things can be fun.  Plus, they look bigger on a pre-schooler.  It may be getting a little cool in Colorado (where Maizy lives) to go around wearing only a tank, but she likes to layer, so she can work this look even through the snowy season.

I’d better blog off - time flies.  Especially when you spend a good chunk of your evening drooling all over the Anthropologie website (releasing pent-up desire after a brief and fortunately inexpensive trip there with Sissy B while we were together recently).

During that trip to Anthropologie, we got two of these mugs (on clearance, of course; my aforementioned pocketbook can’t handle that store on a regular basis, either).  The idea was that we could each have a cup, one half of the twin set, from which to sip our tea and think happy thoughts about our visit - later, when we’re miles apart.

(long, happy sigh)

Then Maizy, who upon fervent request and subsquent cautioning took on the task of carrying the bag with my cup in it, took a bit of a spill as we were walking to the car, bless her heart. She’d been multi-tasking: bag in one hand, my wallet in the other, and my phone - in the locked and off position - anchored in the crook of her neck as she carried on a very serious one-sided conversation with an imaginary version of a family friend.

Poor thing.  We had boo-boo scrapes on each hand.  Cup…was kind enough to break her fall. Not so much in one piece anymore, darn it.

Awwwww.  No biggie, I said.  Sissy B was sad.  Really, it’s OK, I said.  Small potatoes!  Sissy B later went back to the store, unbeknownst to me.  She returned with another bag containing another cup, all wrapped up in one piece.

“Some things just have to be remedied, sis.”

(warm smile, then muffled sniffle)

Love you, sis.