Lucetta: Pattern Notes

Sometimes I knit something that turns out so well I can barely believe that I made it. Lucetta is that type of knit. It's not complicated, and it works up quickly, but you get more than a bang for your buck. It's an absolutely gorgeous sweater. I think that part of my enthusiasm probably stems from the fact that I wasn't sure what to expect from the finished project. It's from Rowan Studio, and those pieces are generally pretty fashion-forward, which means that you'll love them today, but it's a toss-up as to how you'll feel tomorrow - maybe "fantastic!" or maybe "what the hell was I thinking?" Happily it's the former. I feel fun and in the moment in it, but I also think it will stand the test of time. (By the way, I think Rowan Studio is great and I highly recommend the first four issues. Just be aware that it can be uber-current.)

Some days you just can't give good face, ya know?

Lucetta
Rowan Studio Issue 4
by Sarah Hatton
Knit with just over 4 skeins (229 yards/skein) of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze (70% Kid Mohair/30% Silk) in "Chill", on size US 7 and US8 Addi Turbo Circulars.
Gauge: 24 sts 21 rows per four inches over pattern.
Size: smallest.

The Pattern:

ERRATA:

Body Row 7 of Eyelet Patt: Last 2 Sts should be P2tog, not P2.

Row 1 of Main Pattern should be K all sts in the **first repeat** of each piece, but after that K the P2togs and ktbl on the yos.

In addition to the errata, there are a few helpful things to take note of:

When taking gauge, use the pattern as set up on the sleeves - the main body only has directions for the main pattern with decreases incorporated. It also leaves you to figure out how to increase in pattern. I started with a sleeve because I was too lazy to do a swatch, which is a good way to go. You, too, can be a lazy bum and swatch with your sleeve. It's something I do a lot of.

Detail of the lace.With those unpleasantries out of the way, let's move on to all the good things about Lucetta. It is very easy to knit, but it wasn't overly boring due to the funky eyelet action going on. Overall, the pattern is well-written and makes sense. It should be pretty easy to do even if you haven't knit much lace or worked with Kidsilk. You will want to have a certain confidence with your seaming and end-weaving abilities, because due to the nature of the yarn your seams are out there for all to see. You don't want them to be bulky and you need to make the eyelets line up. I love seaming (I know - crazy - don't hate me because I seam), so it wasn't an issue, but I can see the seams making some poor unfortunate knitters very unhappy. If your seaming skills are a bit weak, tackle the seaming portion with an experienced friend or under the protective guidance of your LYS.

I have watched Sarah Hatton's designs since Rowan 35 hit the stands, and have really enjoyed them. I always loved Kim Hargreaves, but I think it's been good for her and for Rowan to make a change. I like her designs better now, and I love seeing the new people that Rowan brings in. Sarah Hatton consistently creates really interesting pieces. I think Rowan Studio is a great venue for her talents. She's fresh and has a unique take on designing. I would happily knit something of hers again.

Sexy, sexy eyelets!

Techniques:
This is advanced beginner fare - easy but for the tricky yarn and the seaming mentioned above. It requires some shaping and the use of yarnovers.

Love the blousy, comfy sleeves.Modifications:
I use a long-tail cast-on, so one of my standard modifications is to do an extra row of ribbing on every piece. The long-tail makes one side of the work look "purl-ish" and the other more polished. I like the polished side to face the world. This is so standard for me that I don't think I've mentioned it before, but if you use the long-tail method and don't already do this, you may want to start. Just add one row to the ribbing and treat the first row as a set-up row (WS) and the second as if it were your first RS row. It's nice.

I also omitted the side-shaping on the body. After years of following (and designing) the standard method of decreasing to the waist and then increasing to the bust on the edges of the work, I've jettisoned the practice completely. It always looks like shit. If you need serious shaping, make the decreases and increases as darts about a quarter of the way in from the sides. If you need to maintain side-shaping but the shaping isn't too severe, try starting with the stitch count at the waist and only increasing up to the bust, rather than having shaping below the waist as well. This won't work for everyone, but it covers a lot of body types (steer clear if the piece is a bit clingy/closer-fitting and you have a little pooch, though). In cases where the piece has some ease, I usually just get rid of the shaping altogether. This worked well for Lucetta.

The last thing I did, which is also really standard for me was to pick up stitches fairly evenly around the neckline, ignoring the stitch count except to make sure that in the end it was a multiple of four (so that the ribbing works out properly). Usually this results in picking up more sts than the pattern calls for and I just reduce down to the correct number on the next round. In this case I was 8 sts short, and just made the collar with that number. It looks great. You need not be too attached to numbers when picking up sts. I think it's better to avoid gaps around the neckline. Just a thought.

Other than those little things, I changed nothing. The pattern is great as is.

More sleeves.
Finishing:
I seamed using a modified mattress stitch very close to the edges to minimize bulk. The eyelets were a little confusing to line up, because I had to "zig" from the edge of one to the middle of the other and then "zag" from the middle of the second eyelet to the lower edge. When you do it, it might appear at first as if things will not line up. Go a bit farther before making any judgments. If you are off, you'll know.

I blocked the body by soaking the pieces in cool water with wool wash, spinning out the excess water in the washer and pinning it flat to dry. I was lazier with the sleeves, because I really wanted to wear my sweater. I spritzed them with water while the sweater was on my body and tugged! Kidsilk dries so quickly that this works out fine! You will want to block, though - it's much prettier that way. Don't be alarmed by the way the kidsilk looks wet (rather like a wet dog!). It will come around nicely.

Impressions of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze:
When I first used this stuff it was my enemy - hard to see and easy to f*ck up - like dancing on ice. Years later we have become fast friends. I love its delicacy and loft and I appreciate its ability to add elegance to a piece. If you want to know more about it, read about the two pieces that I made with it previously: the Birch Stole that I made for my wedding (same color) and the more recent River Stole. I still love and wear both.

Possible substitute yarns:
The two best substitutes that I know of for Kidsilk Haze are K1C2's Douceur et Soie and Artfiber's Tsuki. At 515 yards/skein for $16 Tsuki is a steal, and can be ordered on line. Douceur has the same fiber content as Kidsilk, and Tsuki is close, with 10% more silk and less mohair.