ooh la la, the first WIP of ’07
It seems funny typing 2007. My fingers are resisting. First I typed 2006. Then for a few moments it was merely the year 200.
Back to the future, and we have another.
VEST!
I’m loosely counting the recently finished Bling shell as a vest, because, indeed, it will be worn over a blouse at some point (have I ever shown you my favorite chartruese chiffon shirt – this combo is not for the faint of heart but a pale washed out winterite redhead like myself needs all the color excitement she can GET! and it does work it).
Above you see something made out of a material as polar opposite to the ribbon-y glitz of last week as you can get: Noro Silk Garden.
I originally got this for a wrap, but while rousting through the stash, it occurred to me I had enough for a Mondo Cable. Inspired jointly by Lisa and Corinne (who for 2006 it was the YEAR of the Vest), I decided to give it a try –
Hmm. The texture and feel of this yarn is not the most favorite that’s ever passed through my hands.
BUT
The end result almost makes me faint with joy! The colors in this yarn endlessly surprise and entertain while knitting. (It is Color # 203). The band says it’s a combo of 45% Silk, 45% Kid Mohair & 10% Lamb’s Wool. Now my standard for kid mohair is the ubiquitous Kid Silk Haze, but the SG is not fluffy, soft or pettable.
It is however, lusiously colored – and I believe, quite perfect for this vest – although I had to tweak a bit for gauge. I am getting 17 sts / 22 rows on #9 needles (the pattern is 16/20). I am also knitting it in the round to preserve stripey goodness – YES! I am one of those people who WILL try to match the stripes on the NORO, so this is just a kindness.
I’m almost at the armholes – now it will go back to being knit back and forth – what will those colors do?
Love those colors, now if I can only get some cold weather here, life would be perfect! Happy New Year!
I always knit my Noro in the round, or top down so my stripes match. It makes me crazy, all the patterns that are written for it that knit flat pieces. The stripes will get a little thicker once you’re working back and forth, but I think that the striping is so random with this stuff that it won’t be obvious. How do I declare that 2007 is also about the vest? Sleeves, for the most part, are over in my knitting world. Let the vest obsession continue!
One of the reasons I love working with Noro Silk Garden and Kureyon is the endless color surprises. It looks great! Happy New Year.
Ooh la la, those fabulous colors. I have knitted three different garments from SG….I didn’t like the feel the first time either, but those COLORS, and the changing stripes turned me into some sort of Noro addict. The good news it that it softens tremendously with washing.
It will also be incredibly warm and durable — I have a silk garden sweater and it hardly pils and all that silk and mohair makes for a lot of insulation when it’s cold out!
Oh, yum – I love that! I can’t believe I’ve got a whole bag of Noro (not silk, though) waiting for me . . it’s going on 2 or 3 years now. You’re tempting me to start another wip!
I think to keep the striping going the way you like, I would do armhole steeks. I think the silk garden is sticky enough for that. Your vest does look gorgeous!
I think to keep the striping going the way you like, I would do armhole steeks. I think the silk garden is sticky enough for that. Your vest does look gorgeous!
Yep, knitting in the round for “self-striping yarns” is SOP for me too – same with hand-spun (I never could get the hang of that whole “use two balls and switch” thing to prevent pooling). But, oooo, those colors are fantastic – and I’ll bet that chartreuse blouse with it will just be terrific (red hair and light skin notwithstanding). No navy blue for you, Bonne M. — woohoo — let’s see now, what do I have in the stash to inspire me like this???
It looks lovely! I love the colors.
The colors are gorgeous. I have my own little stash of Noro Silk Garden just waiting for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about those stripes. What if you kept knitting in the round and used a sew steek? I’m thinking a sewn steek would be necessary because of the silk content.
I love the colors of Noro, but the uneven spin always irks me. That colorway is so gorgeous.
Yep, it feels rough while working, but the more the Silk Garden is laundered, the softer and drapier it will feel! I am so in love with Silk Garden. —-and hey, this colorway looks like the one I used for my sweater–maybe you recollect from seeing it at the Dulaan event and from Arcadia.
I love the colors as well. I made a baby sweater with striped yarn, and it made more of a block pattern up near the sholders when I did the decreases for the armholes. It was a nice effect, although I hadn’t though about it at the begining!
Add a little hair conditioner in with your rinse water and SG’s steel-wooliness will soften right up. Noro feels like straw, but man, the colors!
That is so lovely. I was debating putting one big cable down the back of the dog sweater I’m starting on (so I can still take her on those cold January days), but wasn’t sure it would look good. You just showed me it will look good! I think you should knit the vest in the round to the top and put in steeks – or try a few stitches in waste yarn that you can then remove and edge the arm holes. I really think that stripey goodness is too cute to mess with!
OOOh! So relieved to hear this stuff softens up with a little TLC…
I will definitely wet block it :)
Aaaaaaa! The cute! I’ve got six balls waiting to be a sweater too! How many balls will this vest take you?
WThose sure are pretty colors – why not continue to knit it in the round and then steek the arm holes? Mohair and wool are pretty sticky – it seems like it might be reasonable…? (This is purely a hypothetical question from me of course, since I have never steeked ANYTHING…)
I have the Mondo Cable pattern but never thought of making it a vest… great idea. Now I’ll have to go yarn shopping – what a shame!