Without further ado, here is my finished Collar de Pilar hand-knitted tee:

I am crazy about this top. It is fun to knit. It is fun to wear. In fact, I’ve been wearing it everywhere since I finished it.

The tee was designed by Kate Davies. I loved this design as soon as I saw it, and purchased a kit from Kate Davies’ shop in 2022. This was just before I caught Covid, and I put the kit away; my covid-induced brain fog led me to choose very simple patterns for some time afterwards. Recently, I needed a project for a long plane trip, found this kit in a box, and realised the time was ripe to cast on.

I knitted it in the original colour scheme using Kate’s own Milarrochy Tweed yarn. It is the first time I’ve used it for a garment, and I was a little worried that it would be itchy next to the skin. I finished it as the pattern suggests, with a dab of hair conditioner in the rinse water, and it bloomed and softened beautifully.

My gauge was off for this. The pattern calls for a stockinette gauge of 28×36. My washed and blocked swatch gave me 24×40 with a US3/3.25mm needle. I know that I could have re-swatched with a smaller needle size and probably have gotten gauge, but I liked the way the fabric looked and felt with the size 3, so I decided to keep it.

To account for the different stitch gauge I knitted a size 4, instead of a size 6. Because my row gauge was also off, I added about 10 plain stockinette rows before starting the patterned yoke. It was a bit of a gamble, but I tried it on multiple times while knitting, and I think the fit is perfect.

I was surprised that it looks good with many different outfits, and have worn it both for work and play.

I highly recommend this pattern. Kate also gives instructions for long sleeves. The university has closed for 5 days for Easter. Yay! A mini-break. I have a new project on the needles, a new book to read, and the flowers are blooming. What more could I ask for?