A Top For Warm Weather

As I've been knitting all these big, boxy sweaters this past fall and winter, I've really enjoyed the shape.  It's easy to wear, works with skinny jeans and ballet flats and feels like pajamas.  When I saw the Lou Box Top pattern I knew I had to sew up a few for warmer days (you know - spring, summer, fall).  It's not a new pattern, I'm just slow at finding it.

It can be used with knits and wovens; it comes with two neckline options and three hem options.  I made the straight hem option with the crew neck, using Cotton and Steel rayon fabric and really, this was the only thing tricky about this pattern.  The pattern itself is very simple.  There is a bias neck binding but they aren't really hard, just fiddly and you have to take your time.  The thing is, when a top is this boxy and oversized, it really needs to be made in drapey fabric.  Drapey fabrics tend to be a bit squirelly, but if you use a fabric that isn't drapey enough, the top is going to make you look like a box.  The rayon is perfect for this and I have two more pieces of it for two more of these.  The oversized nature of this top means it will be breezy in the summer heat and while sometimes there are sleeve issues with oversized tops (if the sleeves are too big, the world can sometimes get more of a show than you bargained for) these are perfect - no show, but not tight either.

I actually think this could be really great in a silk charmeuse or even a drapey crushed velvet for the holidays.  I don't have any definite plans for these, but the ideas are bouncing around in my head.

I'm Still Here! I'm Still Knitting!

 

It's been quiet here on the blog, but I've been busy knitting.  I finished a pullover and I love it.  This is Ambiente, knit in Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in the Dopamine colorway.  The shaping of this sweater is oversized and boxy - kind of like Relax - but it's not as wide as Relax is.  It's also knit top down in one piece where Relax is knit bottom up and then seamed.  Ambiente has a little bit more scoop to the neckline, long sleeves, and a split hem.

I changed the edging and I didn't do the pocket, but the rest of the pattern is knit as written.  The edging used in the pattern was curling like crazy in this yarn, and I just didn't really think it would block out (I didn't actually try blocking it, so it might have settled down, I just didn't trust it).  I redid it using K2, P2 rib instead and that worked out just fine.  I was pretty sure the pocket wasn't going to show anyway in this yarn, so I just left it out.  I think it could be cute in a more solid or tonal type of yarn.

Here's a picture of what the yarn looks like close up.  I love this colorway!  Remember a couple of years ago when I said I liked the new speckled colorways that were showing up in yarns at the time and how I thought they'd be great in socks and small projects but I didn't think I'd want to knit a sweater out of them?  Clearly, I've adjusted my thinking there!