Returning to Coraline
I know that many of you love the Coraline design and want to make it and I’m sorry that it’s taken so long to do a pattern. Unfortunately it’s going to be a while longer, but paradoxically that’s partly because of it’s popularity. The fact that so many of you want to knit this only increases my desire to make the pattern as perfect as possible, not that I don’t want that for every pattern, and there are a few things that have been niggling me about the design and that I’ve decided not to ignore. The big one is really the yarn. I’ve posted recently about my desire to make more thoughtful yarn choices and one of the motivations for this is that I’ve come to realise that my yarn choices are not only a single choice. Although I’ve always seen the yarn in patterns as little more than the choice the designer happened to make for a single garment, they are of course more frequently seen as recommendations or suggestions. That’s perfectly reasonably and while I’m all for substituting, and I do like to see the changes that yarn choice can make to a design, there are many good reasons for wanting to use the same yarn as that in a pattern sample. If nothing else some of my own early yarn choices highlight that it’s certainly possible to make unfortunate substitution choices. All this, though, does make me a more conscious of the simple fact that my own yarn choices also serve as recommendations and with that, I feel, comes more responsibility than I feel when just making the choice of what I’m going to knit with. Responsibility both in terms of the companies and ethics I want to support and in terms of selecting a yarn that my customers will enjoy working with and be pleased with the results of.
I knit Coraline in RYC Bamboo Soft and although I absolutely love the resulting fabric I don’t feel especially happy recommending it as a yarn. Firstly I have issues with a product that is being heavily marketed as green when the actual evidence of it’s lack of environmental impact doesn’t seem to support that (the super short version of that is that although bamboo as a crop is far more environmentally sustainable than cotton, for example, the process of turning that crop into yarn is far more problematic). Secondly the yarn was truly horrible to knit with. It’s made up of multiple fine, slippery plies that untwist, split and occasionally break. Although, of course, some knitters are going to find a design with this much stocking stitch deathly boring, I know that many others like myself like to have a simple project that doesn’t need their full attention that they can pick up here and there. Knitting this much stocking stitch in a yarn that needs so much attention paid to it totally defeats the point as far as I can see. What would have been a nice way to keep your hands occupied while chatting, watching a film etc becomes something that is both deathly dull and that will be screw up if you get distracted. Fun. The ends were impossible to weave in except by splitting the plies and darning each one in individually, which took forever. Although I wash all my swatches and try to investigate the yarn’s properties I didn’t full account for the amount this yarn was going to stretch vertically. Consequently, and it’s worse now than in the above picture, while I like the unintended length the yoke is horrible stretched out so that the neckline is wider and the underarms are awkwardly low.
I think you know where all of this is going, don’t you? If you’ve been reading for a while you’ll have noticed my compulsion to knit everything twice over, but in this case I think it’s necessary. The Coraline cardigan I’ve made is lovely and I will continue to wear it frequently, but as is, I’m not happy releasing a pattern for it and I’m definitely not comfortable recommending to anyone that they knit it in RYC Bamboo Soft or that they even buy the stuff. And so, the absolutely gorgeous UK Alpaca Silk and Alpaca blend that I posted about on Saturday is becoming Coraline. And the swatches? Well I stretched them hard vertically, because I know this yarn is also going to stretch out.
Apologies for the delay in developing the pattern, but I think in the end it will be worth it. The above photo is of the bottom corners of the old and the new, it’s already neater. At least I was in need of a simple stocking stitch project anyhow. Perfect for movies, talking, carrying around and reading. It’s already progressing faster than the Print o’ the Wave stole.
Posted: November 28th, 2007 under knitting.
Comments: 23
Comments
Comment from Hannah
Time: November 29, 2007, 12:21 am
this cardigan is breathtaking!! i love the drapey texture and your choice of color, although I can completely understand your qualms with the yarn. having recently fallen in love with wonderful alpaca yarn, i’m very much looking forward to seeing how the pattern shapes on your second go. please keep posting photos!
Comment from Heather
Time: November 29, 2007, 12:51 am
Thanks for mentioning the problems with processing bamboo - too many people think it’s “green”. I have some bamboo towels that I got as a present - they snag way too easily and don’t dry all that well - kind of clammy feeling.
But your alpaca and silk blend does indeed look yummy.
Comment from Gudrun
Time: November 29, 2007, 2:27 am
Mmmm I wasn’t aware of Bamboo’s negative impact and will definitely need to look into that as I have used it recently and hoped it would be a greener choice. I feel the same way about re-thinking yarn options and striving to offer environmentally friendly ones as often as possible. I love this pattern too but appreciate that there are things you want to change before publishing….again I’m trying to do the same and make sure I’m totally in love with a design before publishing it. Look forward to the new and improved version of Coraline!
Comment from Keri
Time: November 29, 2007, 2:34 am
How have I missed this cardigan??!! I can’t WAIT to get my hands on the finished pattern!!!
Comment from connie
Time: November 29, 2007, 2:51 am
Wow, your attention to detail is very admirable as is your thoughtful consideration in terms of yarn choice. Definitely inspiration for me as I contemplate putting out my own self published designs. And the Coraline design is lovely and worth the wait I’m sure :)
Comment from Becky-Dee Trevenen
Time: November 29, 2007, 4:22 am
I had the same experience just recently with a bamboo/cotton yarn. I love the finished product too but takes a lot more concentration. Thank goodness i didn’t have to seam with it and thank goodness for crochet seams and applied i-cord!
Comment from Angie
Time: November 29, 2007, 4:48 am
That is a very lovely cardigan :)
You might try sewing elastic around the shoulders of the bamboo sweater to keep it up? Maybe the stitch pattern wouldn’t get stretched out at the top then.
Comment from Rachael
Time: November 29, 2007, 9:50 am
I think it is very admirable of you to look at social and environmental impact of your designs.
There is now even more incentive to knit your designs.
Well done.
Comment from Keren
Time: November 29, 2007, 10:40 am
I’ve not tried bamboo, but buying “green” is usually my priority. Maybe not so suitable for Coraline (not so silky?), but a great sustainable source of yarn is the organic 100% wool from just near me:
http://organicwoollies.co.uk/shoppingyarn.html
Plus for coloured yarn you can buy the same wool, dyed naturally to Soil Association Certification here:
http://www.llynfitextiles.co.uk/
Just thought I’d post that in case anyone else has been searching for green knitting possibilities!
Comment from Lee Ann
Time: November 29, 2007, 3:00 pm
Thank you for paying attention to these things. I, too, love to have a simple project going and if I have to babysit the yarn just to get it not to split, it’s a bit of a nightmare. I wouldn’t want to have to do that for an entire sweater…as it is now, I’ve ripped a shrug started in bamboo because the knitting experience drives me batty.
Comment from soknitpicky
Time: November 29, 2007, 3:08 pm
I love that you’re sharing your thoughts-in-progress and insights with us. Thank you!
Comment from Courtney
Time: November 29, 2007, 3:23 pm
I’m so glad to see that you’re working on this sweater pattern! I was trying to design a sweater with a pretty yoke and it kept turning into Coraline. I figured I’d just wait until the pattern came out instead.
If you need test knitters, I totally volunteer!
Comment from Sophia
Time: November 29, 2007, 3:51 pm
I understand what you mean about choosing the right yarn for your pattern write up. It is a lovely pattern and I can’t wait to make it myself!!
Comment from Monica
Time: November 29, 2007, 4:15 pm
Thank you for being such a conscientious designer! I really appreciate your taking time to explain why and how you do your designing. I totally agree that the right yarn can make or break a great knit. I have had some not so great experiences with substitutions, so I am trying to be more conscious about which yarns to use.
Can’t wait to see the new and improved pattern!
Comment from Alice from france
Time: November 29, 2007, 7:45 pm
Hey Ysolda! Take the time you need to write properly this pattern, it is really lovely and simple!
Comment from Sarah
Time: November 29, 2007, 9:04 pm
Thanks so much for all your hard work making great patterns for us. I’m looking forward to Coraline very much, but I know it’ll be worth it to have a great pattern and yarn!
Comment from Zylo
Time: November 30, 2007, 1:42 am
Wow. I’m really impressed with your decision here. I’m still only knitting scarves, and I’ve always wondered what the damage of not caring what yarn I used might be. It’s definitely something to think about. Fortunately, I’m not a good enough knitter to worry about it yet.
Comment from Clare
Time: November 30, 2007, 2:18 am
Good call! I’d always looked at Coraline in bamboo and thought ‘mm, nice, but I think I’d do it in some springy wool so it doesn’t stretch out.’ Now I get to see it. I guess the alpaca gives spring and the silk drape, huh?
Comment from Stephanie
Time: November 30, 2007, 2:19 am
Looking forward to your lovely design and very thankful it will not be in the bamboo yarn. Best Wishes
Comment from Gabriella
Time: November 30, 2007, 7:59 pm
I appreciate that you mentioned the environmental problems about bamboo, but am at the same time surprised that you as a vegan use silk. I’ve learned that silk is made by killing the larvaes, but I’m hoping I’m wrong. Enlight me?
Comment from Phoe
Time: November 30, 2007, 9:48 pm
I absolutely loathe Rowan’s Bamboo Soft. Plus, I agree that too many people assume that bamboo is green when it’s not necessarily so. Looking forward to the pattern though, it looks great!
Comment from Krystin
Time: December 1, 2007, 9:46 pm
Weird question, but I’ll ask it anyway:
Are those pincurls in your hair?
It’s gorgeous, whatever it is.
Comment from jo
Time: December 4, 2007, 9:01 pm
i was wondering if those were pincurls too :-). i absolutely love that cardi, its gorgeous, thanks about the tip about the yarn! i was wondering wether using the alpaca would make it too warm as it looks like quite a nice summery cardi?? i loooove alpaca tho, its soo nice and soft!!
Write a comment