I came to the conclusion a few weeks ago, that as much as I love the Clapotis, and as much as I love this color of Silk Garden, together it just didn’t speak to me. I pinned it into the Union Square Shawl shape, and couldn’t raise my arms past about a 45° angle. Not being of the suffering-for-fashion school, I can’t picture wearing it like this. (Making it longer to allow more ease would make the neck even larger than it already is. I did think of that.) I’d like to do another Clapotis, but in a different kind of wool, perhaps the Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb of the original, or a merino/cotton blend. What else could I do with the Silk Garden? Klaralund, perhaps? Very tempting…. But on the other hand, Juno’s disappointment with the pattern gave me pause, as I am certainly no stick like the model in the photo, and anything that draws emphasis to the bustline (seams??) rarely works for me. I was also put off by so many comments by bloggers about the amount of sewing-up involved, so I started wondering about working it in the round — different balls for front and back, so that the depth of each color stripe would remain constant between body and sleeves — maybe even picking up stitches so that the sleeves could be knitted to the body as they progressed — this all going so far that I would have to call the thing "Klaralundy" or "Klaralundish" from rewriting the pattern so thoroughly. I am also not really sure that I would have much opportunity to wear a sweater that looks really warm — so perhaps a cardigan would be better, something easier to take off and put on as desired….
So what came to mind, ever so slowly, was a kimono-shaped jacket. The cross-over front is flattering, the basic shape is uncomplicated, the colors would work. The trickiest part would be the angle of the two front edges.
I probably could find a kimono jacket pattern somewhere, and I might even have one already, but as I am without my knitting library for the next few months, I’ll try my hand at designing one. I’ll think "on paper," as we used to say BB (before blogs). I often get frustrated with things that don’t turn out the way I expect or want them too, but since I am experimenting, I am going to let myself enjoy the process, and not get annoyed about the setbacks. I’m also not going to rip out a swatch immediately, as is my usual procedure, but put them side-by-side and compare the differences.
Swatch One, then, on the left, is worked on 4mm needles over 40 stitches, with a 10-row seed stitch hem and 8-stitch seed border up the side. The rate of decrease is 1 K2tog every 6th row. I started by putting the K2tog at the inner edge of the seed stitch border, but it was kind of blurry there, so I moved it to the first stitch of the stockinette, where it looks much tidier. The little curve along the corner is rather appealing.
Swatch Two, on the right, is worked on 4mm needles over 30 stitches, working a folded hem, then casting on another 8 sts for the seed stitch border. This gives it a look more like the collar/placket of the fabric version of a kimono. The rate of decrease is higher in this swatch, being 1 K2tog every 4th row, so that the crossover would be more pronounced.
I like the folded hem — it looks neater, cleaner — but I think the dec every 6th row, as in the first swatch, will be better. Less bulk at the front.
(Kyoto, by the way, is similar to what I have in mind, but to me looks perfectly beautiful in the cotton. I would like to make this later the way it is written….)
For this sleeve swatch, I cast on 63 sts, worked seed st in the round for 3 inches (24 rounds) then worked it plain until the end of the ball. That bulge in the cuff bothers me. The gauge is just a little too tight, as well, now that I can feel the larger swatch.
("This is compicated," observed Julia.)
This one is worked on US6 needles, casting on 55 sts, working 3 inches of seed st, increasing 4 sts evenly around, then stockinette. It looks much nicer — I like the smoother line.
More later….
