I am so happy to have some photos of my newest hand-knit, a very chic, boxy jacket with a pattern that pops.
The pattern is designed by Hanne Falkenberg, and is called the Sofi Combi. “Combi” refers to the fact that it is knitted with two different yarns. The dark blue is a tweedy wool and the soft green is a linen blend. The two are combined in a slip stitch pattern that has an art deco feel to it. The details of the pattern are fantastic. Notice the lovely details at the shoulder, and the way the zig zags undulate at the back of the garment:
And check out the lovely faux seam at the sides:
You may also notice the (seemingly) miles of seed stitch knitted with tiny needles for the sleeves. Those sleeves were an undertaking, especially since I knitted 2.5 of them (the first sleeve was a bit baggy, so I ripped it and then did some maths and some re-designing of the sleeve cap and tweaked the decreases to get a slimmer, smoother fit.)
I have blogged about this jacket extensively over the (dare I say it?) almost TWO YEARS that I have been working on it. (Of course, in that time, I have knitted many other projects.) Now that I am actually wearing this, however, I am kicking myself for not having finished it straight away. You can see some of my previous posts on this garment under the tag Hanne Falkenberg here.
The finishing details on this garment are amazing and I have learned so much from making it. The edgings on the fronts are picked up and knit in reverse stockinette stitch, which allows the edge to roll to the back. The left photo below shows the pick up edge from the inside of the front. Along the pick up edge, you can see the edging is rolling over towards the back. The edging is then pulled over the picked up edge and sewn down, to make a beautiful, neat edge, shown on the right.
The neck is finished the same way. I am so thrilled with the finishing details on this jacket. I feel that they give a very professional look to the garment.
I have knitted two of Hanne Falkenberg’s designs previously (see my post A Tale of Two Falkenbergs for details). You can only buy her patterns in a kit, with the yarn that she provides, but I have found them to be well worth the purchase. The yarns are beautiful and Hanne’s colour sense is lovely; she often puts together colours that are surprising, but they always work. They are intellectually challenging knits (in a good way) and I have learned something from each of them.
The weather has cooperated; we are having an unprecedented warm, sunny Easter weekend in England. After posing for the above photos, I ended up knitting in the garden, and Doug thought it deserved another photo:
I am not always good with pairing patterns with patterns and so I am surprised by how much I like this jacket with this top:
When I read a blog post about a sweater, I always want to see the reverse side. So, for those knitters like me, here you can see that it is a truly lovely jacket inside and out:
Now, I am headed back to my garden to take advantage of a sunny weekend (and hoepfully to finish another project). Have a lovely weekend!
This jacket is stunningly beautiful, love the colors also
Thank you! Not my usual colours, so I have to think about how to style it.
This is a truly gorgeous knit, congratulations! What a beauty. It has a distinct couture vibe, and fits you so well. It took some time, but it was definitely worth it. It is great with a pair of jeans, but would look also perfect with a dress or a skirt for a more tailored look. I’m sure this will become a wardrobe staple.
You make me want to go and investigate this designer and her kits. Which is what I will do right after publishing this comment.
Thanks, Agnes. When I was sewing in the edgings, I really felt that it had a “couture” vibe! (Since going to see the Dior exhibit, I want to be a couture embroiderer or seamstress; that can be my next career!) You should definitely check out Hanne’s work.
I remember when you started this and it was well worth it. You did such an amazing job. I enjoyed seeing all the details.
You can remember that far back? (Ha ha.) It seems like forever ago. I am really happy with how it turned out. Thanks for commenting.
Spectacular!!! (And, for those in the U S, the kits are far more affordable if ordered from Denmark.)
Thanks for the tip, Susan. I wasn’t sure how easy it was to obtain her kits in the US; it’s good to know that buying direct from Hanne is cost-effective. I am waiting to see your Brick!
Hurrah! It is absolutely beautiful! So much effort you pit in and it is definitely worth it, what an amazing jacket. Well done!
Thank you, Sarah! I was so happy to be wearing it this weekend. I am proud of how it turned out.
You SHOULD be proud to wear it!
This is absolutely beautiful. I have made three Hannes myself so I can appreciate the work you put into it!!
Hi Susan! I have been inspired by your Hannes (and everything else you knit) for years. I am a fan. Thanks for commenting! It was a lot of work, but definitely worth it.
So lovely to see this finished. Definitely worth the wait – you look great in it!
Thanks so much. Now I feel like I need to buy a new dress to wear it with!
Your work always amazes me! Stunning 💐
Thanks so much, Cheri!
Such nice work and gorgeous colors. It looks great on you!
Thank you, Alissa!
That jacket is lovely! Very professional and neat looking. Great work, and you look lovely (and happy) in it!
Thank you! I am enjoying wearing it so much!
It reminds me of a Chanel style jacket, very stylish and looks great with jeans but bet it would look great over a summer dress or with a work skirt/trousers.
I thought it looked a bit like a Chanel style jacket, but didn’t want to say so myself. Its nice to know that others think so too. I will have to try to find a dress it looks good with so I can dress it up.
I can’t believe it is two years since you started this project – I remember your initial posts about it and they only seem like yesterday!! Anyway, fabulous work as always 🙂
Thanks, Liz. Time is flying by!
You’re sending me straight to her web-site! Thank-you for your enjoyable reads.
Hi Deborah. You can’t go wrong with her kits, I think. Some of them seem a bit dated to me now, but most are very classic. And her colour sense is really good.
it is absolutely great!!! i loved it!! and also credits to you, for your perseverance !! it is beautiful!
Thank you so much, Liza! It did take a bit of perseverance, but so worth it!