Part 3 – in which I apply well-known methods to a new project
Given the history of letting things go to chance as evidenced by Parts 1 and 2, I decided for my current project to plan things out better. My idea was to make another top like this one, which is a summertime staple.It’s sleeveless with shirttail hems, a simple reverse stockinette ribbing, and a bit of beading on the neckline. It’s my own design:
I’m using a similar linen yarn to the original – Reed by Shibui. It’s a chainette of finer linen, and it’s one of the easiest to knit linens that I’ve tried.
I knit a gauge swatch, and even washed it!
It’s a slightly looser gauge, but it looks good and feels nice and drapes.
So, far, so good – I’ve begun the front, and hopefully my attention to swatching and washing the swatch will pay off!
Lesson: try the full swatching method, and see how it goes!
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Knitting with linen right now, too. I think my gauge tightened up a little after my first washed and blocked swatch! Oh, gauge…
I’m aiming for a little more shoulder coverage with this new top. Waiting for the pieces to dry so I can seam and see how it fits. Fingers crossed!
I hear you. My gauge loosened a bit. Time will tell!
I think I was knitting with fingering weight linen when I commented before, and I realized that I would never finish a fingering weight top! So I bought Quince’s Aran weight Kestrel, and have knit two. My first was very loosely knit, and may be a bit floppy (I did wash and block the swatch, but then I took my knitting on a very relaxing camping trip, oops.) The second one has a more controlled gauge, and I really love it. Kestrel is chainette, too, and I didn’t mind knitting with it. Maybe chainette has a bit more give than plain linen?