Please forgive me if my post is a little rambling today.  My youngest son has been sick for a couple of days, nothing very severe but enough that he’s been running a temperature since Saturday.  Anyone with a small (or smallish!) child will know that this involves broken sleep and a babbling child.  As he is usually a talker a fever added to mix means that by 9.30 in the morning you head is ready to explode already from being talked at.  I’m now just waiting for him to talk himself out and crash in an hour or so!

In the meantime while I listen to his continuous talk I’ll tell you a little about my Draped Vest from Interweave Spring 2011.

This vest was an interesting design to put together.  I wanted to shape a vest using so that it could all be worked in one continuous piece.  It started at the back of the neck with a tube, works down each side (one side at a time) and then you have a short row ‘wedge’ that turns the corner to the back. Finally you knit across the back to the center where it is grafted together.  The yarn the sample is knit in is a heavy recycled silk. It would also work well in another heavy drapey yarn, perhaps a linen or linen blend worked at a loose gauge?
The sample is designed to be work with the fronts just touching and with a gather at the top of the back where it is attached to the neckband (that is why it shows several inches of ease).

This vest was really an further extension of my love of short rows. Being able to shape and even change direction in your knitting while still working it all in one piece is just pure magic.  I’ve got a cardigan idea that I can’t wait to get working on that uses the same general idea for turning the front corner.  I’m dying to get started on it but I’m going to resist – I’m in wait for some secret project yarn to come so I’m being very good and not starting on another larger project right now that will compete with it!

Spring must really be in the air, I’m bursting with ideas and my office desk is completely cluttered with swatches.  There are two designs working through the final stages that I’m dying to share, they’re a little lighter weight so perfect for the coming milder weather.