Parfait Tunic started from finding a couple of interesting lace patterns in a pattern enclyclopedia. I had been wanting to knit something suitable for spring and summer, somewhat dressy but very comfortable. I did quite a bit of swatching for this design as I wanted the lace patterns to blend into each other where they met, in other words , not have strong "lines" where one pattern ended and the other started. I started with the lower border pattern and the body pattern then realized it would look great to add a simple eyelet for the yoke. This gives a nice balance to the tunic and also is super simple to work the yoke decreases!
This layering of patterns reminded me of a parfait dessert, the word in French means perfect....Either reference will work just fine. To accomplish the organic flow that I was looking for, the stitch patterns had to be modified. Writing up the pattern for the size I made was quite simple. I just wrote down what I did as I knit it. The challenge occurred when I tried to write up the directions for the pattern in smaller and larger sizes. The pattern repeats didn't always work out just right. In the end though, I got it figured out. Although it did take me a while to perfect the pattern, no pun intended!
I took the tunic with me to France in 2011. The photos were taken at Tillac in the south west part of France, department Gers. It was a cool and comfortable top to wear. It was knit in a sport weight cotton called Shine Sport from KnitPicks. It is 60% Pima Cotton and 40% Modal, which is a natural beechwood fiber and gives great shine, drape and silkiness.
The pattern can be purchased through my Ravelry account.
No comments:
Post a Comment