Oriel Lace Blouse
Imagine
it's 3 PM on a workday. Lunch is a distant memory, going home early
isn't an option, and the Snickers bars in the vending machine are
starting to look like health food (Nuts and chocolate, right?
Antioxidants and protein! Whoo!). Then, out of nowhere, your crazy
coworker Sandi pops her head around your cubicle wall and says
brightly, "Hey! Can I take your photo and your bust measurements and
post them all over the Internet?"
Yeah, baby. Just another day in the life of an Interweave staff person. No one has coffee breaks like we do.
Today, with the gracious assistance of several Interweavers, I present not one, but two photo sessions for you: the Oriel Lace Blouse Gallery and a little bonus: the Summer Wheat Tank Mini-Gallery.
You will notice that all of the models (including our ever-faithful
Bertha) are on the petite side this time around. Sometimes the sample
sweater is sized so that we can show it on a variety of folks;
sometimes not. In truth, the Oriel, being all-over lace, is very
elastic and might have fit one of the larger models, but none
of us wanted to chance ruining such an exquisite garment by stretching
it out of shape.
The Oriel pattern is in here!
And
exquisite is precisely the word for the Oriel. Shirley Paden, you
delight me with the way you bend lace to your will and make the
loveliest garments out of yarnovers and decreases. The astute reader
will note that the magic of this sweater lies in Shirley's clever
shaping technique: Rather than disrupt the flowing lace lines overmuch,
she uses larger needles where she wishes things to be bigger, and
smaller needles where she wishes them to be smaller. (Someone needs to
tell me to knock off the P. D. James novels, my prose is starting to
sound downright prim.)
As for the Summer Wheat Tank:
It is soooo cute in person. Would it look as cute on a busty gal like
me as it does on the Willows and Nymphs in the photos? I'm not sure--I
didn't have a model that fit those specs, unfortunately. So here's a
little peek into my own thought process about this pattern--see if you
agree, or if you would approach this differently. First: I've seen
similar "overwrap" sweaters on large busty gals, and it's actually a
rather attractive style--if the sweater fits properly. Second: I know
the designer of Summer Wheat, Lisa Shroyer, and she is passionate about
designing knitwear that will flatter a variety of shapes and sizes. So:
If I did knit Summer Wheat for myself, I'd want to make sure that the
overlap panel started below my bustline, instead of starting at the top
of my bust and going diagonally across something that doesn't need more
attention. Also: If the panel started at my underbust, it would help
define my waist, which is definitely A Good Thing. In addition, I'd
probably do some short-rows or something to increase the drape of the
fabric over The Girls and to ensure that there wasn't too much extra
fabric at the waist, where I don't need extra anything!
That's how I would start to think about the Summer Wheat pattern.
Real women come in all shapes and sizes; not every sweater can look
good on every shape and size. The trick is to develop your "critical
knitting eye," and to develop a degree of honesty about yourself and
about the patterns.
Bertha in a glam moment
We do not expect every piece of clothing in a department store to look
great on every single person; the same is true of knitting patterns.
The truth is: I know without a doubt that this top would look
gorgeous on my slender-yet-busty sister Liz. So in the end, if I just
HAD to knit this pattern (and it's one of those that makes my fingers
do a little Wanna Knit dance, I confess), then I would probably make it
for her. (I said IF, Lizzie, IF...)
A note from one of our models:
Bertha wanted you to know that she does not always stand so stiffly.
She has a wild, artistic side to her. She asked me to post this photo
so you could get to know her better.
Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.
What's on Sandi's needles? Yes, folks, it's true: I will be ripping back the front of the Bonsai Tunic by Norah Gaughan. Yes, I shall post photos of my infamous defeat pre-rip-fest, but allow me to gather up my courage first. New to the needles: About 15 inches' worth of cables for a new design coming soon to Knitting Daily.
Someone asked if this was the ONLY thing on my needles...you caught me!
I am the Unfinished Objects Fairy, spreading my little stardust magic
over as much casting-on and as many needle sets as possible.