Friday 10 September 2010

The Wool That Will Not Die


This used to be this. For the moment it's Manu, but it will soon be something else.

Don't get me wrong, Manu is a lovely pattern, beautifully written and a pleasure to knit. But not in Elle Pure New Wool DK, and not for me. As the Jess jacket, the wool was too soft and floppy, and more of a cardigan than a jacket, which was unexpected. As Manu, it's too stiff, and more of a coat than a cardigan. Again, unexpected, so not what I want.

I did put the pockets on, and took them off within half an hour. I made bigger buttonholes, because I wanted to use the buttons from the Jess jacket - these buttons are too heavy, and the cardigan sags on one side.

Now to decide what to make when I've unravelled it all: this or this or this or this? (Ravelry links) Something fitted, and probably stitchy or with cables, because by that stage the wool will be looking used.

Third time lucky. I read all of the Fit to Flatter tutorials, and thought I'd understood them, but it took 2 full knits to really grasp that circular yokes are the wrong shape for me. And that all DK is not the same, even if you do get gauge.

8 comments:

Lori said...

In the photo I think it looks quite nice, but photo appearance and actual feel of a garment likely are not one and the same. Too bad!

I love the "Pam" cardigan, I think that would look quite nice in your wool-that-will-not-die.

Anonymous said...

I love Pam too, the solid red and the cables! YUM

carla hyland said...

hi jesse, totally unrelated to your wool dilemma (didn't know how to comment without clicking her)
check out orla kiely's 'pattern' book if you haven't already. thought of you and heather when I heard it was being released. hope you ladies are well - carla

carla hyland said...

i meant clicking 'here' not her

firstfallen said...

I vote for Pam!

Deniz said...

i love the first pattern and the third one... since we voting ;)
i love the colour its totally yummy. i had been following the knit for fit link but need to back read last few posts and think about them.
will you knit manu again?

Charlotte said...

Funny, I am about to swatch for Manu and spent today having second thoughts. Just not sure the shape is right for me. It would be good to have a guide about which body types are best for certain designs. Surface, for what it's worth gets my vote. looks like the most interesting to knit, and also nicely fitted. Good luck.

Jesse said...

Charlotte, have a look at the Fit to Flatter series, it's a good guide. Unfortunately, nothing really works as well as trying things on - in this case, after knitting. It's a combination of body type and personal taste; really hard to tell until you're done.

I think Manu needs to be made from something with a bit of drape - the pleats all around the neckline are just too bulky in the yarn I used.