Kay's Korner - A Knitters Notes

My itch to stitch is not seasonal. I juggle projects as deftly as the Cirque Soleil clowns do their orbs and it makes no difference whether it is mid-winter or during this summer heat wave. What is different is the fibers I choose to cast on. As summer dining varies from the comfort foods of December, summer knitting is at its best with a steady diet of light, breathable fibers. Like a light, fresh salad is delightful on a hot day, plant fibers are front and center on the summer fiber buffet.

Just today, I finished Cathy Carron's Top with Cowl from Vogue Knitting's spring/summer 2010 issue. I chose a double strand of Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in spring green for my ensemble. Hempathy is a light weight yarn, spun from actual plant fibers, with a crisp texture and vivid colors. Yes, the yarn softens with each washing and even with the handling given during my knitting, but the character is not lost. So many of todays new "natural" plant yarns are milled as extruded plies, soft and pliable to the touch, but far removed from their phyto origins. The hemp fibers are reminiscent of linen and other bast fibers, much closer to the field than the laboratory.

So many of the newer sweater patterns are knit from the top down and this one is a great example. I enjoyed watching the seamless construction quickly develop from neck edge, to yoke, down to the openwork skirt. I did take a detour and worked the detached cowl early in my knitting. It has been a perfect addition to several other outfits over the past couple of weeks and is already a popular project around the shop. The easy seed stitch fabric, knit on a #15 circular needle, brightens an outfit without adding significant warmth or weight. Worn with the sweater, it provides a bit of modesty, mostly covering the low plunging neckline. Even still, I will not be comfortable without seaming closed at least part of the deep v-neck, which will not appreciably alter the look of my project. My petite neck to waist length leaves the neckline open clear down to mid-belly, where VK's model is obviously blessed with a longer torso. A coordinating camisole or tank top is another modest possibility. In fact, I also like the look of my sweater when the front is worn in back, keeping the girls covered and adding interest to the rear view.

But it is the openwork skirt that is the true star of this design. Knit with a progression of larger needle sizes, the bottom edge becomes a riot of oversized stitches that softly cascade from the stockinette body. The wide edging mirrors the stitch pattern in the cowl, nicely pulling together the look of the design.

Yes, this savvy hand knit is fetching! The look is perfect for an al fresco dinner or a day of summer sale shopping. Between the breathable fibers and the ventilation offered by the full and openwork skirt, my summer top stays comfortable even out in the heat. I often expound the virtue of season spanning knits, but this sassy, warm weather knit deserves exception. I know that by the end of September, I will turning to chill chasing cardis, but until that time, this vernal design will stay in my wardrobe queue.

Copyright Kay Mather 2010