Yesterday I made a brief excursion to Ewe Knit - to show my friend! It was a public service expedition! - and, in the process of facilitating her next project, discovered this very sample:
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| Rondeur by RoxanneZYG |
The top-down, knit-in-the-round pattern is available on Knitty.com, for free but now that my link feature is messed up in this post, I can't give you a quick button to get there.
This photo doesn't show the sweater off to its best advantage. It's actually got fantastic shaping. Just the kind that highlights one's hourglass proportions. Check out the waist decreases. As it happens, I was able to measure this baby AND try it on. This photo shows the size 30 (aka small) and it fit well. Maybe even a bit loosely (though the silk-blend purple yarn used had more drape than the brand I bought to make it):
This is DK-weight Zara by Filatura di Crosa yarn, a superwash pure merino (am I incapable of leaving the treated yarns alone???) that feels lusciously soft but that knits up without too much drape. (I know, I touched a sample project made from it.) It's in cherry (colourway 1940), a kind of soft fuchsia that a) cheers me up and b) will look very sassy in a knitted t-shirt.
The plus of this free pattern is that it really doesn't take much yarn. The small calls for about 500 yards which amounted to 50 bucks-worth at my LYS. Very affordable, y'all who knit sweaters will concur. It doesn't get much cheaper than that. The reviews are very positive.
Note: the instructions advise that the sweater is designed for 0-3 inches of negative ease. That's high on drugs. I tried on the 30 (7ish inches of negative ease) and I wouldn't go any larger. Depending on how this knits up, I may add a couple of extra bust stitches under the armhole, just to give a bit more space for my chest, but I would swim in the 34. I'm starting to realize that knitters don't really work from the same premise of negative ease that sewists do.
So, I'm curious to know what you think of this sweater. Have you made it? Would you make it?
PS: I'm not forgetting the fingering-weight garment (last project of the GTS series). I've actually got the most exciting yarn ever to work with on this one. Mind you, that slim, slim wool is probably going to knit up on US2 needles and, even if it's a little sweater, it's gonna take some time. The Rondeur will probably knit on a size 4 needle - this seems to be the needle size I use for everything, regardless of what instructions recommend (it's the size at which I get gauge), and the yarn is easily 2x as bulky as the fingering. Point is, any potential challenges aside, the Rondeur will come together much more quickly than the fingering-weight sweater (to be chosen soon with all of your feedback). Can't say which I'll make first, whether responsible crafting will win out over the impulse project.
PPS: The next sewing project I intend to make - along with S, my fitting friend - will be another tailored suit jacket (different pattern, needless to say). I haven't written about this because it takes a kind of energy to plan and begin that I do not have right now. Just want you to be aware that there is substantial winter sewing in the cards, and lots to talk about as soon as I'm up to it. I don't want to run any risks of abandoning a project I'm too frazzled to take on. Also, I'm notoriously bad at managing my energy. I have to find some way to DO LESS right now and be ok with it. However, that doesn't mean we can't start to think about it in the abstract coming soon.
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I wish I had an hourglass figure to highlight *snort*! But this would give the illusion, no? It's lovely. And I love your colour choice much more than the original.
ReplyDeleteEvie: You would look terrific in this! If you felt like it, you could even lengthen the sleeves to elbows to give a more England-in-the-winter weight to it! The colour is awesome. Even if cerise has become my new navy blue :-)
DeleteI love Zara for stitch definition and for how great it feels to work with and to wear. I knit a dress in it last year, you might remember, and that's when I discovered how much drape it can have (the weight of the dress makes a difference), so I'm glad you're choosing the smaller size.
ReplyDeleteCould I also recommend switching balls at the most inconspicuous points possible (it's seamless so you can't change at the seam, but perhaps under arms or whatever? Because of the superwash process, the yarn comes close to needing a knot to stay put, and I've had to go back in and do some rescue work.
But it's a lovely yarn, and that's a perfect pattern for you -- and what a great colour!
BTW, that's exactly what the Debbie Bliss yarn does - it weaves in VERY conspicuously and doesn't like to stay put. I have, in the process of doing the GTS series, figured out that I may loose a few yards of yarn, but at least I won't have a visible join in a noticeable spot.
DeleteInteresting that your dress has so much drape - was it the DK or the worsted weight you used? I touched a sample of the DK weight - admittedly it was a small (child's) sweater so it didn't have mass behind it. It seemed very firm though - not drapey like the Debbie Bliss or some alpacas.
I was really motivated by the pattern. The minute I saw it, I knew I should make it. It's extremely curve-driven and geared towards a close fit. Also, yarn less dense than worsted PLUS the sweater is designed with no bulk (no long sleeves or drapey parts other than, if you choose to make it - and I don't - the curved hem). I've come to realize that more than 800 yards is likely going to produce a finished product that is too large. Either due to excess bulk or a style that's overwhelming.
Nice pattern -- my cold nature would demand full sleeves, but that's easily accomplished. Sitting here with several sweaters worth of Zara, so, hmmm...will look forward to seeing how you like yours.
ReplyDeleteKaren: You could totally extend the sleeves!
DeleteYou can link to the pattern directly on knitty: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss11/PATTrondeur.php
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteSeven inches of negative ease? Wow, that's a hell of a lot! Well, it SEEMS like it is. But I really don't know much about ease with knitting!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a lovely pattern :)
I know. It freaks me out. But seriously, I tried the thing on! How can I argue with real life experience??
DeleteI love Zara even though I am not usually fond of super wash wools. I will also second Mater's comments. That said, the negative ease does not surprise me, especially if the yarn was a silk blend. I knit a sweater with 7 inches of negative ease in a silk/wool blend and I could easily have knit it even smaller. Even though Zara is wool, the superwash drapes and knitting on the small side is a very good idea.
ReplyDeleteIt worked out really well in this instance. Given my penchant for superwash yarn, I'm going to have to keep this in mind.
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