theraineysisters knitting and so much more

The Ponchette is history.  I actually finished it and had to rip out two repeats, so it is finished and then some.  I like wearing it as pictured below: more poncho style.  It hangs long in front (covering my waist) and hugs the shoulders nicely.  The thing I did differently here was to work an i-cord edge along the top so it would not be a raw garter at selvedge AND to give it a firmness so it would be less likely to stretch.  I did not block it at all.  The only blocking I might do is to pin out the points to make them pointier.

Here is the back:

And a seam detail:

So you won’t think I have something against handpainted variegated yarns, here are some pictures of a past sweater made using Cherry Tree Hill Merino and Silk DK in Gypsy Rose.   The pattern was in a summer issue of Vogue (2003 or 2004?).  The one pictured in the magazine was quite short (view-of-bellybutton short) and had 3/4 length sleeves — I think to conserve yarn.  At $35-40 per skein, I can see why!  I added length and width, and made long sleeves, so I used 6 rather than 4 skeins.  The way the colors are created in the yarn, each small diamond contains all the colors.  I don’t think most other yarns would do that.

I love the way the neckline does a little zigzag.  You do a crocheted edging to finish it off.  The other change I made was to have the front and back necklines the same.  They added a straight insert across the back which I found unnecessary.

Another past favorite in handpainted variegated is another Vogue design — from the 2003 Winter Special Occasions issue.  I knitted it in Mountain Colors’ Mountain Goat, a mohair blend in color Yellowstone.  It is fabulous yarn to work with! 

The Norah Gaughan design is fantastic for garter stitch because the structure of the jacket provides support and therefore reduces stretching.  Look closely at the back:

The diamonds are actually formed by two different pieces and joined through the center by picking up sts through the cast on edge.  It is ingenious and extremely fun to knit.  You start with one square at a time and keep adding on until the back or fronts are done.  I wear this one all through the fall as a coat.