Detail Oriented: #64 Saone

There are so many wonderful patterns in this issue of Verena Knitting it's easy to miss some of the more subtle details of the designs. To highlight some of these potentially overlooked details I plan to write about them in this space, knitting up examples of interesting stitch patterns and treatments.

First up is #64 Saone, by Tina Hees from our "On The Street" collection of fall cardigans and jackets. It's a very versatile, wearable design in a lovely angora/silk yarn. The lines are clean and straightforward, with crisp narrow ribs adding interest. But what's easy to miss unless you really stop and examine the picture is the cabled button band, which frames the buttons and adds a feminine touch of curve to this crisp design. I knit up a swatch with button bands on either end to feature this lovely detail.




Another nice touch is the way the ribs along the bottom edge continue up into the body of the sweater, and then rejoin the ribbed edging of the collar. 




(The buttoned up photo looks like a sleeve, because I sewed the buttons on my swatch and buttoned it to show off the band in action. There are no buttons on the sleeves.)

 I couldn't get my hands on Julia, the recommended yarn for the project, but I did happen to have a skein of Valley Yarns' Deerfield in Sweet Pea, which has the same 80% angora/20% silk blend. This is a wonderful soft yarn that I really enjoyed knitting up. It has a subtle halo from the angora and a sheen from the silk. Stitch definition is excellent, I think it would make a good alternative for those in the US who don't have access to the recommended yarn.

While the pattern calls for 3mm needles, to achieve 6.25 stitches per inch, the ball band of Deerfield calls for 5-5.5 stitches on 4mm (#6 US) needles. I chose 3.25 mm needles and achieved a gauge of 8.1-7.8 stitches per inch. (As I grew more comfortable with the stitch patterns my gauge relaxed. This illustrates nicely the wisdom of knitting a large swatch. I would continue swatching and adjusting before settling on a needle to tackle the sweater with.

When it came time to bind off I decided to experiment with binding off in pattern part of the way to see what it would look like. The in-pattern bind off resulted in picot like bumps, and the flat bind off was neat and flat and more in keeping with the clean lines of the design.

Maker Faire NYC

Just a quick note to say that the Fall issue of Verena Knitting will be arriving in subscriber mailboxes next week. We know that many of you treasure and save your knitting magazines, so we took a little extra time to put the magazines into protective covers before mailing. The digital issue should also be available next week and newsstands and bookstores should be stocked up the following week.

For those of you who are in the New York area, I will be in the TNNA booth teaching knitting at the World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science, on Saturday September 25th from 12-4. I'm sure no one reading this needs me to teach them knitting, but if you're going to be there do stop by and say hello! It promises to be a really fun family event all about making and doing things for yourself. I've never been to one of these so I'm really looking forward to it. If you haven't been to the Hall of Science, it's a wonderful place to visit with your kids, there's a highly acclaimed Science playground and Rocket mini-golf in addition to permanent and visiting exhibits.

Bodacious!

For those who are interested in something a little more daring, the Fall 2010 issue of Verena Knitting has this audacious design by Barry Klein for Trendsetter Yarns. Using 3 different yarns in a dramatic diagonal stripe he has created a dynamic coat of many contrasts. Employing Dune a blend of mohair, nylon and acrylic, Merino 8 Shadow 100% wool, and Othello which combines alpaca, wool, polyamide, and cotton to great effect, this coat will turn heads every time you wear it.

Also in the magazine, easy to miss under this coat is this classic crew neck top. Knit in fine gauge yarn it will be an elegant staple in your fall and winter wardrobe.

And finally, an alternate view of our cover design. This cozy hooded tunic vest, is seen in the magazine only from the right, obscuring the asymmetrical zipper placement and exterior pocket detail that add to the trendy "inside out" look.

"Pantheon" by Norah Gaughan

"Pantheon," by Norah Gaughan, sleeve detail

It's Labor Day today, which means that the hot, humid weather will be coming to an end soon and knitters will be digging out their large needles and wool and daydreaming of sweaters. I love knitting lace, and I've been having a great time knitting up the Orenburg Shawl, but I am also looking forward to more substantial projects.

Fall is the perfect time for knitted coats, and there are several beauties in our Fall issue. On my recent visit with Margery I snapped some pictures of a couple of them that deserve a closer look than you get in the magazine.

First up, is this unusual design by Norah Gaughan. Made with Berroco Blackstone Tweed on size 8 needles, and constructed of pentagons, you can start knitting the smaller shapes for the sleeves now and not find yourself knitting the larger pieces until the weather has cooled off enough to make that welcome. Before you know it, there'll be a nip in the air, you'll want a light coat and find yourself nearly done! 

Berroco Blackstone Tweed is soft and luxurious with a wonderful, lofty texture. The mohair and angora in the blend give the yarn all the visual appeal of tweed but none of the scratchiness.

The design is so subtle it's really not easy to photograph in a way the does it any kind of justice. You can see the different directions the knitting takes in the pentagonal design, but you'll have to trust me that this gem is so much better in person than pictures can convey.