England continues to be in the throes of a non-summer; endless days of cold and rain and grey. I am still wearing a coat to work, making hot soups for dinner, and soaking in a steamy hot tub in the evenings. I have not worn my sunglasses since leaving Arizona and have forgotten what sandals are. But, if the sun ever does come out, I’ll be ready:
Yes, I have finished knitting Laresca. (Finally, a finished project!) And, if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty good. I complained in an earlier post that I wasn’t really liking this one; both because I had regrets about the colour and because I didn’t think it’s loose, swingy style was really me. One of my readers (hi, Lou!) pointed out that perhaps I should be applying my own Wearability Wednesday criteria before knitting it, and not investing the energy to finish something I ultimately wouldn’t find wearable. Well, in a sense I think that is what I did, because in fact my Laresca doesn’t quite look like the original (which I will repeat here again, just for comparison’s sake).
I love this photo, with its long, loose, flowing lines, and I might aspire to wear this look, but it really isn’t me. On the other hand, my Laresca, a much more fitted garment, paired with a short snakeskin print skirt, suits me rather well. My top is more fitted for two reasons: first, because I knit it with 4 inches of negative ease instead of the called-for positive ease (a big difference), and second, because I somehow, inadvertently, accidentally ended up with 12 fewer stitches across the back after doing the arm decreases, thus making it even more fitted. Was I aware that I was decreasing the hell out of it? Consciously, no. But, unconsciously, I was clearly going for a different kind of sweater in my head than on the paper. My hands knew what they were doing.
And as far as the colour goes, it was only after I finished knitting it that I realized that it went perfectly with this beautiful skirt and matching snakeskin heels that I bought months ago (from Hobbs) in anticipation of the summer-that-isn’t. It’s almost as if I had a grand plan, all along.
So, I’ve got my linen and silk thing going here. I’ve got a bit of lace. I’ve got a cute short skirt. Go ahead, sun, do your worst! I’m ready for you!