Why I Play With Designs: Stanza Pullover in Rowan Mohair Haze
Updated March 23, 2021
I can't seem to leave any pattern alone! You may ask me, "Why not just design patterns, then?" and that is a very good question. One answer is that I am unpardonably selfish and only really want to size things for myself. Ha! Another answer is that I am somehow uncreative... less of an 'ideator' and more of a "let me add onto YOUR amazing ideas!"
This is the original Stanza by Sarah Hatton, from Rowan Magazine 56.
I fell for that 50's cropped frame and those sweet, barely noticeable cables running up the raglans. Also, I wanted to try out Rowan Mohair Haze, made of 70% super kid mohair and 30% extra fine merino. Just look at this COLOR!! I couldn't resist.
But there was one issue for me, that the whole top was made in reverse stockinette (i.e. the wrong side of knitting). I do not have perfect tension between knit and purl rows. One way you can tell this is by looking at the wrong side of stockinette and seeing a space between every two rows of knitting. This barely shows on the right side, so I usually don't care a lick.
So, I decided I would flip Stanza inside out and use stockinette side on the outside instead!
But then that could be trouble for the cabled raglan. 🤔 Usually to highlight cables, you use reverse stockinette between the cables so that they really pop. I decided, though, that it might be fun to go subtle and do stockinette cables on a stockinette background. I kind of love it in this soft, fuzzy pink yarn. You might not notice it the first look, but maybe on the second.
I did mess up without realizing, boo. The raglan cables that meet up between the sleeve and body were supposed to twist opposite each other to make a sort of flower braid. Darn! I had gone too far before I noticed it. So shhhhhh... 😋
The knitting itself was tough though... US 2.5/3.00 mm needles and a lot of mohair fly-aways! (i learned to stop wearing lip gloss)
A note about the neck change. It's nice and square in the original photo but I guess I cast-off too tightly, and the neck started rolling. Cute, though it does bunch under the roll over time as well. I tried to mirror the elbow to roll, too.
I'm happy with my changes! To you designers out there, I hope you aren't too offended when I change a design to make it my own. You are the creative ones and your ideas are what inspire me to go my own small way. It is an honor to be able tomake what you have put sweat into creating, and I hope very much you are well compensated for your efforts. Plese see my "add-ons" as praise and play, and just the expansion of a dream of what you started. 😊
This is the original Stanza by Sarah Hatton, from Rowan Magazine 56.
I fell for that 50's cropped frame and those sweet, barely noticeable cables running up the raglans. Also, I wanted to try out Rowan Mohair Haze, made of 70% super kid mohair and 30% extra fine merino. Just look at this COLOR!! I couldn't resist.
But there was one issue for me, that the whole top was made in reverse stockinette (i.e. the wrong side of knitting). I do not have perfect tension between knit and purl rows. One way you can tell this is by looking at the wrong side of stockinette and seeing a space between every two rows of knitting. This barely shows on the right side, so I usually don't care a lick.
But all in reverse stockinette AND in a small gauge... it could be even more obvious.
So, I decided I would flip Stanza inside out and use stockinette side on the outside instead!
But then that could be trouble for the cabled raglan. 🤔 Usually to highlight cables, you use reverse stockinette between the cables so that they really pop. I decided, though, that it might be fun to go subtle and do stockinette cables on a stockinette background. I kind of love it in this soft, fuzzy pink yarn. You might not notice it the first look, but maybe on the second.
I did mess up without realizing, boo. The raglan cables that meet up between the sleeve and body were supposed to twist opposite each other to make a sort of flower braid. Darn! I had gone too far before I noticed it. So shhhhhh... 😋
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A note about the neck change. It's nice and square in the original photo but I guess I cast-off too tightly, and the neck started rolling. Cute, though it does bunch under the roll over time as well. I tried to mirror the elbow to roll, too.
I'm happy with my changes! To you designers out there, I hope you aren't too offended when I change a design to make it my own. You are the creative ones and your ideas are what inspire me to go my own small way. It is an honor to be able tomake what you have put sweat into creating, and I hope very much you are well compensated for your efforts. Plese see my "add-ons" as praise and play, and just the expansion of a dream of what you started. 😊
You are so hard on yourself! OK, the cables do look a little odd. But only a knitter would doubt that it was planned just the way you executed it. I definitely applaud the decision to have the public side be stockinette. And you certainly look great in it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Noreen. I know I am being exigent -- the good news is that I'm wearing it, I'm wearing it!
DeleteDespite the trouble, it looks great on you! Love the color. Love mohair too, but especially when someone else is knitting with it... :-/
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love knitting with mohair usually -- but this stuff feels more like angora. Well, that makes sense, it was designed to replace the "Angora Haze" Rowan first marketed. I think they shortened the fibers on purpose to make it more bunny like.
DeleteLOL. I guess being so picky makes you such a fabulous knitter (and writer btw). Kudos. It's stunning. And, as others have said, only knitters will notice the cable direction. It
ReplyDeleteLOL, it's true! It's like when you drop a stitch and everyone says, "just fix it later" and somehow each stitch is ruined for you until you go back and fix that sucker. ONLY THE KNITTER KNOWS.
DeleteSweater looks gorj ! I echo the other replies re the cables - s'meant to be like that you tell folk. Inside out definately works for me too - I think this is something your scientist's mind needs to research - how can the knit side be so even & the purl side be pants? I have the exact same problem. Sorry for anon post I don't blog & it's the only way I can comment!
ReplyDeleteThanks my dear anonymous! If you like, you can add your Rav ID so I know who you are (if you ever come back to this message, lol). But I agree -- why is our purl so off? Me? I clearly purl at a different tension than knit, because I can often see a space between every two rows. :( But you can't see that in the front at all! I think it's the relief in the fabric that signals to our brain. We are more likely to notice shadows and peaks, and thus use the contrast to interpret inconsistencies. On the front, we can't tell differences very well, because there is no definition to work with!
DeleteForget all those mistakes! It looks very romantic. I like it more than original one. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's ALWAYS what I like to hear!
DeleteQuote: 'It was beautiful to look at, but the hair was flying around everywhere as I knitted. As in, don't wear lip gloss or else.'
ReplyDeleteThis immediately gave me a mental image of you with lots of little hairy bits stuck to the lip gloss on your upper lip like a (mohair) mustache, which of course made me chuckle :D
I think your sweater looks great, but I'll grab my hat anyways because I'm certainly not immune to hating something I've made, even when everyone else thinks it looks perfect.
Ding ding ding, that's what it was, a Mohair Mustache! Love it. :D Thanks for commiserating, too.
DeleteYou make me want to try the yarn, but not the pattern. I did like Stanza the moment I saw it, but then....too short for me. You did a good job regardless of all the frustrations, so glad it is comfortable and lovely to wear. Mohair is so lovely but such a a pain to knit, and impossible to frog. Kudos for sticking to the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Another reason not to do it, the armhole size is way too big, and the way it is designed makes the sleeves twist. You'll see it in every photo. Upper armholes are a problem I am seeing in Rowan pattern after Rowan pattern. Sigh!
DeleteMrs Anon here again, managed to comment under my Rav ID this time.
ReplyDeleteThat's the answer, elementary my dear Watson - the teeniest uneveness shows up dreadfully because of shadow. Why didn't I realise DOH!
Yay, glad it worked!
DeleteI love that color so much! I've knitted one sweater in Nest, and going to knit another sweater in it too. You look beautiful in your cabled Stanza.
ReplyDelete