2 Comments The Story of a Batwing Lace

Today I was faffing about the internet once again looking at awesome potential knitting projects. And that is despite the fact that I currently have two projects in progress, which I am working on from time to time, including a camel wool helm-hat for my mum (winter here is getting colder) and a toffee-coloured cardigan with half-sleeves in textured knit for myself. Both to be shared here once they're done. 

However, thinking of what I could make took an unexpected turn, and I started recollecting what I had already made instead, where I found something I would be nothing less than proud to share with you. 

The story starts more than a year ago, when I decided to knit myself a nice wool sweater in ivory/cream, the decision I made after about two hours and more than a dozen shops visited on Oxford St in London around November. There was absolutely nothing decent of that colour! And whatever had the colour, had wrong style or, what's more important (to me), fabric composition. So, to finish off an otherwise unsuccessful shopping spree, I went to John Lewis and got myself somewhat four balls of Rowan Fine Lace in colour Porcelaine, which I figured would be more than enough for a lacy sweater.

I started knitting a simple model – 1.5-inch rib at the bottom followed by a pretty lacy pattern I found somewhere on the internet. Then, my MBA dissertation happened, and when I picked the project up again in April I had no clue whatsoever what my original plan was! So I unravelled the 8 inches of the back part I had already knitted, and started to research a new, simpler pattern, Online.

I soon found this lace sweater by Vogue Knitting and I absolutely fell in love with it! The pattern is fairly easy, and it is knitted by simply working increase charts bottom-up, then dividing the work in two and knitting some more for the sleeves, and finally joining the two parts together leaving an opening in the middle for the head. Doesn't really get much simpler than this.

To achieve the required gauge I had to knit with two strands of yarn at once, so practically I was only left with two skeins, and I was kind of worried it will not be enough. Not that I couldn't buy more, but I was feeling too lazy to go all the way to John Lewis for just one ball of yarn, plus if I only used a few metres of it I wouldn't know what to do with the rest of it again. Luckily it was enough (possibly since I was knitting the smallest size), although I had to unravel the pattern sample to finish off the seams.

Anyway, after such a lengthy intro, here come the pictures:

The sweater turned out to be very soft and insanely warm, so a good thing the pattern is lacy. Despite the fact that it is a double-strand 100% wool knit, it is very gentle on the skin and slouchy batwing sleeves make it rather cosy. Just what you need when the weather is less than perfect in those colder months.

The only thing I kind of wish was different is the sweater being cropped just at the waistline, which makes it quite difficult to match with the bottoms without showing some skin (which I dislike solely for the reason that the open parts feel uncomfortably colder). I usually end up wearing it with a high-waist pencil skirt, just like the one in the pictures, or with anything high-waist, really. Otherwise, I think it is one of those perfect pieces. Its soft and neutral ivory colour is easy to match, and the simple yet elegant design fits many styles and moods.

Let me know what you think in the comments ;)

E.V.