Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Swish

That knitting hamster has been at it in my brain again. Around and around it goes, but only one project is sticking in my thoughts and it's one I've been wanting to get around to since I took Jane Slicer-Smith's class last September.

It's the Harlequin Jacket from her book, Swing, Swagger and Drape. The mitered boxes with clever shaping is calling to me. At the time of her class, she had a trunk show, too. The jacket looked fantastic on me and on every other woman who tried on the piece. It's beautiful.

I've settled on colors, too, and while green would be the obvious choice for me, I ordered DK weight yarn (Swish) from Knitpicks today in 3 shades of purple. I also ordered new cables for my interchangeable needles. The most clever thing about this pattern is that along with the miters, the shaping is achieved through frequent size changes with needles, going from larger needles at the bottom to small needles in the bodice area.

I think I'm ready to take this project on, but reading the pattern in the book leaves a lot to the imagination. While the author may be a genius, I am not. I need more instruction. Enter, Ravelry. When I submitted the name of the pattern into the search engine, the pattern popped up showing it was in my library. When I opened that window, to my complete surprise, it showed up twice...in the book that I own, and in a magazine I apparently own. Knitting Universe, Winter, 2006 has more in depth instructions than the book. I'd have never looked in that magazine if I hadn't been led there by Rav.

Who knew? I love the new Ravelry search options. Love, love, love.

So now I'll wait to see if I like the Swish. I know I like Trendsetter's Merino VI, which is what the pattern is knit from in the book, but if I like the Knitpicks yarn, I'll save 50% overall. I ordered one skein of each color to play with first. It's a start for what will be a major project.


10 comments:

Celia said...

Giiirrrrlll, I live and breathe by that Ravelry search. Anything I knit, I check to see how other's with the same projects have turned out. Since I've been off, I think I've added 20 projects to my que. I'm with ya. I love, love, love Ravelry search.

Celia said...

P.S. Did you see the colors on this one? I think your's in purple is going to be great!

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/musclemom/harlequin-jacket

Rudee said...

I did see that one. It's so beautiful, but the blue is not me. However, that yarn is on sale at Jimmy Beans.

Unknown said...

Oh the colors you choose sound great. Can't wait to see that project done. I don't knit but think I will try to find that search you mentioned.
QMM

Gail said...

Can't wait to see the colors!

Stephanie V said...

Purple sounds like an inspired choice. A bold color for a bold design.

Now, all those hours adding tags to patterns has paid off. I thank you, too, for all that detail work.

Can't wait to see the colors in action.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

ummm, honey could you redo this post in english please? ha ha ha

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Jane said...

Sounds like a lovely project, I can see those colours suiting you too

Devon said...

That is a beautiful jacket... love the drape! Looks very complex, definately not a knit while watching TV project!

I think it would look great in purple! I'll have to check out the Ravelry search, I have an account there, but have really not used it much... looks like I'm a little behind the 8 ball!

Rudee said...

Devon, with the exception of tracking your decreases and colors, the knitting is primarily all garter stitch. Not so hard once you get going, but I believe once the skirt is done and you need to track not only decreases and color, but needle size decrease, it'll be more complicated. I saw one project that took the knitter one month from start to completion.

Maybe I can get it done faster than I think, but it'll still be on the back burner until after Christmas.