Saturday, January 10, 2015

Signild

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is Signild by Elsebeth Lavold, which has also reached completion over the Christmas break.
 
I have admired the work of Lavold for some time: all those wonderful designs in "Viking Knits" - but I've never actually knitted one.  This one appeared in the September issue of "The Knitter", and I loved the Celtic, or Viking, knotwork.  This is an exceptionally simple design, with the simplest ribs and the button bands knitted as  the edge stitches of the fronts.  A beginner could knit it.
 
I used a yarn I have had for some time, but have not found  a pattern to suit .  I bought it on a cone from Coldharbour Mills, which specialised in remaindered yarns.  It was unbranded, but not cheap, and the smooth handle suggests that it is a high-end Merino.  However, it knits at somewhere between a DK and an Aran, so I ended up making the largest size, to be sure that it would fit.
 
Then there were the sleeve heads.  The shoulders are slightly dropped, with a shallow sleeve head.  I tried simply sewing these in, in the usual manner, but was not happy with the result.  The yarn is very smooth and reveals any flaws.  Eventually I decided to knit the sleeves again, using a top-down method, picking up stitches around the armhole.  Someone has very helpfully provided a free tutorial on this technique on their web-site.  It gives a much better result.
 
 
Maureen asked about the edging used on the Fair Isle pullover.  This is a really simple combination of garter stitch and single rib, which gives a neat effect. 
 
Knit two rows
K.1 P1 two rows
Knit two rows
 
I first used this on my Summer Isles waistcoat, where I was making up the pattern as I went along.  Because the bottom ribs were curling and flaring I took them off and reknitted then upside down,.  This had the effect of making the cast -off edge the same at the bottom of the waitcoat as on the front edgings, almost like a braid.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


I used it again on the Windfalls waistcoat, but not on Jewels as it is knitted in Shetland style wool, and I just used single rib for that.



2 comments:

LizM said...

Happy New Year, glad to see you back. What a glorious colour, and pattern! Any more hints on that sleeve cap tutorial? Like you I am following the Jean Miles method of a few WIPs - my first stranded colour work needs concentration, the cabled mitts, not so much, and the swatch (3rd) for my first sweater, none at all. If I could just get the colour combination for the stripes right.....

Janet McKee said...

I took a vacation from knitting and blogging. Now I'm back with renewed enthusiasm for all things handknit etc.
Am especially enjoying meeting up with old friends. Happy New Year.