Modelling Shots of the Gilet
Thanks for the compliments in the comments. This has been an exciting knit for me and it's gratifying to find out that it actually fits and looks good on someone. It's for my aunt in the UK so fingers crossed that it will fit her too. Here it is on Lisa...
The yarn is Rowan Pure Life British Breeds DK. I used a US 4/3.5 mm needle and knit it all in one piece from the bottom up. Pattern of my own devising.
Mary Lou asked whether I enjoyed working with this yarn. To be frank, as I was knitting I had my doubts - the yarn seemed weak, but then so do other yarns that turn out to be quite strong when knit up. There was a certain amount of splitting, and I wondered how a garment made from this yarn would hold up over the long term. In fact, it reminded me of a dress that I once sewed for my grandmother. Grandma was in her dotage and she loved the blue frock that I had sewed just for her. She insisted on wearing it day after day and it saw quite a few washings. I hadn't reinforced the seams or anything and they began to fray. Poor Auntie Margaret mended and mended and I recall that words may have been exchanged over this dress before it finally hit the dustbin.
I ruminated over all this as I knit and I worried that I might be about to inflict another such garment on my poor aunt: one that looks nice, but falls apart. HOWEVER, I must say, that after I washed it in Euclan and blocked it, the fabric seems really nice and strong. It's really soft too. We'll see how it wears. So, not a real pleasure to knit with, but it blocks out nicely. And the sheep smell is mostly gone. Sorry Fudge - no dog bed for you!
The yarn is Rowan Pure Life British Breeds DK. I used a US 4/3.5 mm needle and knit it all in one piece from the bottom up. Pattern of my own devising.
Mary Lou asked whether I enjoyed working with this yarn. To be frank, as I was knitting I had my doubts - the yarn seemed weak, but then so do other yarns that turn out to be quite strong when knit up. There was a certain amount of splitting, and I wondered how a garment made from this yarn would hold up over the long term. In fact, it reminded me of a dress that I once sewed for my grandmother. Grandma was in her dotage and she loved the blue frock that I had sewed just for her. She insisted on wearing it day after day and it saw quite a few washings. I hadn't reinforced the seams or anything and they began to fray. Poor Auntie Margaret mended and mended and I recall that words may have been exchanged over this dress before it finally hit the dustbin.
I ruminated over all this as I knit and I worried that I might be about to inflict another such garment on my poor aunt: one that looks nice, but falls apart. HOWEVER, I must say, that after I washed it in Euclan and blocked it, the fabric seems really nice and strong. It's really soft too. We'll see how it wears. So, not a real pleasure to knit with, but it blocks out nicely. And the sheep smell is mostly gone. Sorry Fudge - no dog bed for you!
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