I bought this German knitting magazine, called Rebecca. It has a long-sleeved wrap (with long strips that tie at the back) in it that literally made me gasp when I saw it: I want to make that! This edition of the magazine uses only GGH yarn (not sure about any other editions) - this one looks great and the fibre composition sounded even better. Only problem: could not be got anywhere in the UK, and I only found two places in Germany that were anywhere near where I was, which was still too far away for a quick trip during my jealously guarded holiday time. So I won't be using this yarn. I also prefer using a yarn that won't be discontinued this time next year, just in case.
I felt the need to go visit my local yarn shop: Nest in Weston Park, London. I can only recommend this shop, it is wonderful! Near Finsbury Park in case you were wondering (if you're anywhere near North London and haven't been yet: go. Take it as an instruction, not a suggestion).
And would you know I found some absolutely lovely, gorgeous JC Rennie yarn in the most yummy, intense, sumptuous, delightful, sigh-inducing dark purple that I've ever come across. The photo makes it look lighter and bluer: imagine the colour of dark cherry jam, only a touch more blue. That colour.
I hesitate to say the next bit: they had an offer going on this yarn! (that was in December, sorry) and I got the 16 balls (of 25 grams each) at a much better price. I am just so darn lucky - thank you Nest! (needless to say: I will be back. This yarn comes in lots more wonderful colours)
So I immediately got started: the back is knit from the bottom up and I can only say that I enjoyed this so mcuh, I actually finished the piece in three days! -Including!- blocking! My goodness, I must have been feeling a bit funny, I've never blocked anything this quickly in my life. Still: you live and you learn. Apparently, wow.
Then I started the front which is knit from the top down! Love that. Really intriguing construction. I am having to convert the number of stitches because my yarn is much finer. No problem, calculator in hand, tension square in front of me: converted number of stitches were arrived at in no time! As I said: not a problem, love it. Bit of a maths person, you see.
Except the pattern wouldn't play ball as nicely as I'd hoped.
The front piece is started in stockinette and then has a K2 P2 ribbing come in from the sides and meet in a nice V shape in the centre a bit further down. The increases within the ribbing are knit to the right and left of a specific line which should run across the bust to achieve the right fit. (You can see the front piece laid on top of the back in the photo.)
Ahem, mine didn't. It's still not a problem, just a bit of a hurdle. I'm not terribly terrific at getting my second wind once I got a bit stuck. The version 1 front piece sits pinned to my tailor's dummy right now and I've gone onto the sleeves until I get my mojo back for progressing to version 2.
The sleeves were a story in themselves. I seem to be knitting three of them. Yup. Silly of me. I didn't realise that switching to different needles (albeit of the same size) might result in a fabric that's just not the same. And I would quite like to get both sleeves to be as similar to each other as I can. I'm funny like that. So I started a third sleeve with the exact same needles and the result is a bit better. Same number of stitches but strangely enough a little wider that sleeve No 1. I'll have to make sure that I'm doing the same number of rows, or otherwise (if I'm knitting a touch looser this time) fudge it that way, we'll see. Can't fudge things too much, but just a tiny, itty-bitty little bit? Might work.
Getting on well with the sleeves. Not completely sure that they are wide enough at the top, will have to wait and see. Next stop: cast on for front piece No 2. At this rate I'm really puzzled that I managed the back piece on the first attempt!
Oh well. I'll get there in the end.
I'll blog my other pet project WIP in a separate post.
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