You all left a very interesting set of comments on Wednesday's post announcing the Spring 2008 Knits Preview; I really appreciate all great (and varied!) feedback. For example: Pat K said: "I have a hard time imagining many of these patterns on anyone who doesn't share the, slim, girlish shapes of the models." Compare this to Rhonda's reaction:
"I'm in my mid-30s and by no means tiny (I wear so-called plus-sized
clothing) and this is the first time that I would say that I love most
of the patterns and can hardly decide which one(s) to make!"
Fascinating. So I guess the question on everyone's mind is: What do the Spring garments look like on women who are not professional models? You know what that means: It's time for another Knitting Daily Gallery!
For those of you new to Knitting Daily: Each time a new issue of Interweave Knits
comes out, we choose a few of the garments from that issue and have
several different women around the office try them on, so you can see
how the sweaters look on people of varying shapes and sizes. We love
doing these galleries, and from your comments and emails, we know that
folks find them immensely helpful in terms of choosing what to knit—and
how to knit it—for themselves.
Take a look at some of the previous galleries!
Usually, I decide which garments to feature, but given the
passionate discussions going on about this issue, I thought it would be
much better to have you folks choose which ones you'd like to see:
Which of the Spring 2008 garments would you like to have us feature in a Knitting Daily Gallery?
Take a minute to click on that link, and go vote for your top five
choices! We'll collate the results by Feb. 8th, and the overall top
five will be in our next Gallery.
As we have done before, we will also provide some customization and
sizing tips for each of the featured garments. This time, we will be
using the new sizing and ease information provided in Interweave Knits
as a guide. We'll go through the sizing and ease information for each
garment and give examples of what that means "in real life," with help
from our wonderful in-house Gallery Gals.
Finally, I would like to quote Grace S, who said it so gracefully(!): "Not everyone can be pleased at all times and I see that you are working on changes (which can take time) so I say thank you."
Yes, change (like knitting) takes time. We are listening. We're
lucky to have such passionate, involved readers, and we appreciate all
the feedback that so heartfelt. Thank you for all your support for us
here at Interweave, and for wanting the craft of knitting to be as
vibrant and real as you yourselves are. —Sandi
Sophicated Rustic Jacket
About the Yarn Sub for the Sophicated Rustic Jacket
Several of you have asked why I did not recommend a specific yarn
substitute for the discontinued Classic Elite Zelda used in the Sophicated Rustic Jacket. Here's why:
Zelda is a rather unique yarn: a wool/linen blend, thick-and-thin
singles (unplied) yarn. "Thick-and-thin" means that in some parts, the
yarn is a bulky weight, whereas in others it is closer to a worsted
weight--this is why it is hard to give a specific yarn weight
recommendation.
I contacted the yarn manufacturer to ask them for a recommendation,
but alas, that particular company no longer makes anything like it, and
they were unaware of any similar yarns now on the market. I, too, have
had little success finding that unique combination of fiber blend,
thick-and-thin, drape, and weight. It was a very unusual yarn.
Classic Elite Zelda: singles, 10 wpi
Yarns are designed by people, not by machines; thus, yarns are often
as unique as the yarn designers who create them. It’s sad when a truly
special yarn is no longer available, but it also gives all of us a
chance to explore/learn/create, using the original yarn and pattern as
inspiration.
Another idea: Look for a handspun yarn, as making a
thick-and-thin singles yarn is a specialty of many handspinners. There
are many handspun vendors on sites such as Etsy.com.
Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.
What's on Sandi's needles? Shoulders of the Gathered Pullover, and 7" of the body of the Secret Project.
Posted
Jan 31 2008, 04:00 PM
by
KD Sandi