The Victory of the Dark Side

Have you ever looked at a lovely colorwork pattern and thought, I like that, but...nahhh? Sometimes colorwork just isn't what you want to do, or won't create the effect you're looking for, or you simply have a stash of one color you want to do something with, and stripes aren't in the cards.

I experienced a combination of these feelings when I came across the pattern for the Victory Jumper, found via the V&A Knitting Pattern Archive.

and check out that vintage telephone!

The Victory Jumper, one of many vintage knitting patterns I've admired and one that promises, right there in the photo, "Such an Easy Pattern." Who could resist? I love the shape, the long waist and lacy blouse, and the long slim sleeves. It's flattering and fun. 

So, I knitted it.

In black.

First, I swatched like the good little knitter I (usually) am. The lace pattern looks quite different—and simpler—from a distance, but the single color also highlights the eyelets in the lace in a way the stripes don't. I decided to knit it with a somewhat slimmer shape to amplify that effect.

My gauge was a bit larger than the pattern required, so I adjusted the stitch count as well. The larger gauge also made those eyelets really pop.

Ta-daa!

It's fascinating (to me at least) how much adding or eliminating color changes can affect a garment's overall look. The scallops made so obvious by the color changes in the original design are virtually eliminated. If you look closely you can see the stitches sloping up and down, but the overall effect is if a vertical-striped lace.

I'm happy with the experiment and the result. The single dark color makes the top look less casual, more suited to a night out on the town than chatting with your girlfriends on your rotary phone...or whatever kids do these days.

classy and sassy

The dark side is victorious! And in this case, I don't mind a bit. Knit this sweater and you will probably be compelled to put your hands on your hips and strike a pose. There's really no way not to.

And one last pic where you can actually kinda see my earrings, just because this is literally the most I've ever matched in my life—skirt, top, earrings, and lips. It's madness!

Happy Knitting!

Double Knitting—The Diamond Studded Kitchen Towel

Have you tried double knitting? It's a unique method to knit two interlocked fabrics at the same time. Double knitting is reversible, with one side exactly the opposite of the other. It's a great way to play with color while making a double-thick fabric, which makes it great for extra-warm hats or jackets, or kitchen items like towels and hot pads.

I've used my double-knitting skills (still admittedly in development) to make this Diamond-Studded Kitchen Towel. I dig the retro design and the fun watermelon-y color combo that compliments my bright green pots and pans.

Molly believes all photos should include a dog. 

 If you're new to double-knitting, I recommend choosing a simple, repetitive design that will be easy to memorize and easy to visualize as you're working. This diamond pattern has visual interest but is also simple, geometric, and symmetrical so I wouldn't have too much to keep track of while also getting used to the method of knitting two fabrics at once.

At first I thought I would double-knit the entire towel, but as I worked into the slim neck that would be holding up the towel, I worried it would get stretched out over time and decided to make a change.

I tore back a portion of the towel, to a few rows above the last design element, and knit each knit-purl pair together with both strands of yarn and worked in garter stitch from that point on. This made the neck of the towel very dense and sturdy so it could hold up to getting used and abused in the kitchen. And it looks pretty cute too, if I do say so myself.

Since I love both sides of this towel and wanted to be able to hang it both ways interchangeably, I sewed a button on each side—at the same time!

 Sew into one button...

  through the fabric....

 

and into the opposite button. 

My oven is all dressed up and just about too pretty to use. That's a good reason to go out for pizza, right?