The generous dimensions of my all-season Flossie stole serve the wearer well - as a neck wrap fending winter winds or around the shoulders for gentler breezes.
Answering my search for a simple yet interesting lace, is this 11 stitch by 20 row repeat of zigzag vine. Briefly trimmed with garter stitch, you'll find this an enjoyable project to make and most luxurious to wear.
Great aunt Augusta, better known as Gussie, was a bit of a wild child I'm told and I'm intrigued – the ideal namesake I feel for this sassy knit.
Here I offer the lace and shaping of my Louise cardigan re-imagined slightly shorter with elbow length sleeves and a broad neckline scoop, making for a perfect all-season topper. Wide garter stitch bands that trim its edges create a calming balance for the active diagonal of its lace. Most flattering, it may easily be dressed up or down, shown here fashioned with a favorite belt. Pieces are knit flat, bottom up, with seaming.
Click here for pattern details.
Juliet introduces Louise in Quince's wonderful birds egg blue chickadee wool.
Lace translated for a cardigan in this piece is trimmed and "waisted" with wide garter bands. Styling features include slim fitting three-quarter sleeves and a broad banded neckline. Unbuttoned it's a casual hip skimming topper, or button it up to reveal hour-glass shaping with blousy elegance. No worries - the 10 stitch by 16 row repeat of its lace is easily mastered. Pieces are knit flat, bottom up, with seaming.
Click here for pattern details.
Emma is done, and I'm a little sad actually - it was such a fun piece to knit I hate to see it come to an end! On to the next one - but instructions to be documented for both Emma and Dorothy before I do.
Click here for pattern details.
It's been an active few months of lace knitting for me with lots of knit discovery along the way. I'm loving the lace despite my earlier doubts. It does take a bit more attention, but once underway not that much really. And the stitches are simple.
My favorite part of lace knitting is the final blocking that reveals its fabulous texture. This is Emma - incorporating a chevron eyelet lace. There'll be short sleeves here and a scoop neck. I love the way the color of an undergarment will show through.
Another design, Dorothy, is already finished. Its lace is a leaf pattern, a little more complex than the chevron so I kept it sleeveless. The patterns of both Emma and Dorothy are almost done, except for pictures. Hopefully I'll have these published on Ravelry within the next few weeks. There'll be a third too - longer sleeves, less of a scoop on the neck, and perhaps a bit longer on the hips. The lace pattern will be different from these first 2, though has not yet been decided. I'll commit to 3 in this series, but I'm enjoying the lacework so much there could be more. We shall see..
I learned last week that Knitty has relinquished 2 of my 3 submitted designs (fingers crossed for consideration of the third in the Deep Fall issue!), which has now freed me to post on Patternfish and Ravelry. So, happily, Martha (shown on Juliet below), May, and Hattie are now launched - hopefully to accolades :), but honestly I find the Ravelry group to be so friendly and supportive. I'm already pleased with the response.
Recapping then, this first series of designs has been built on a shaped bodice with variations in the neckline. Next up I'm all about the lace. Smitten with my Jared Flood stole experience, I'm aiming to incorporate lace textures into a simple bodice. More on this to come.