I've started Chamomile from Rowan's Summer Tweed Booklet. It's a very easy pattern done in a yarn with a somewhat difficult handle. I've used the Legend Summer Tweed for the Debbie Bliss Easy Jacket and did that on a slightly tighter gauge.
Summer Tweed is a nice yarn to wear, but not a great one to work with. It's very inelastic, so you need to be careful to get consistent stitches. It feels dry and you do get bit of grass and stuff, which I pick out of the yarn. I'm doing this in smoulder, a lovely rich burgundy with maroon flecks.
The knitting goes so quickly. For this design, the back and front were being knitted simultaneous, but will remain as pieces (easier to block). While I checked that all skeins were the same dyelot, I did noticed that one skein had a colour variation, after I joined in the second skein. Annoyingly, I think it's pretty obvious, especially, under natural light, so I'm going to have to frog the back and reknit it, alternating the yarns. It's the first time that I've got variations in a commercial yarn with the same dyelot. I've seem this happen in varigated yarns.
Must get cranking, I've got to get to the sleeves.
My 2 cents: you might not have the baggy-sleeve problem with Chamomile, because its sleeves appear (on the photo) to be rather fitted. On Able from Rowan 33, I had a huge problem (which I publicized quited loudly!)with the sleeves drooping (to the point of self-lengthening--I swear they were GROWING). But Able's sleeves were quite wide, and in moss stitch. They therefore had a lot of yarn in them, which I think exacerbated Summer Tweed's tendency to sag.
In one's 40s, one feels some solidarity with a creature that has a tendency to sag.......The Smoulder color is going to look wonderful on you and it's such a nice pullover for all occasions. Are you doing the leather lace-up or is that going to be a surprise? Love, Kay
P.S. Say hi to my new pal (your kindly spouse).
Um, Just letting you know I feel guilty, re: frogging! But I am SURE it is lovely! ;)
Posted by: Kristine at February 1, 2004 04:56 PMGood choice Polly - I love chamomile too. It will look lovely in smoulder - one of my favourite colours in the summer tweed range. Odd re the colour difference in the same dyelot - I have never seen that before either tho of course in such a richly saturated colour even small differences would be very obvious. Hope it was a one off for your sake and the rest of us too!
Posted by: carol at February 1, 2004 02:59 AMWhat a lovely jacket Polly, and I think that Camomile in Smoulder will look wonderful on you, such a rich colour. I had been thinking of doing something out of the new book in Summer Tweed but after reading so much about the difficulties of ST and baggy sleeves etc., I will think again.
Posted by: Louise at January 31, 2004 07:55 PM