- Pattern: by Nikol Lohr, available free in Knitty
- Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton (wool), “Chestnut”, 741 yards
- Size: as written; 32″ waist
- Time to knit: About 2 weeks in Jan/Feb 2011
Yes, I knit this more than a year ago. My glacial pace in finishing can be attributed to the decisions involved. More on that below…
The pattern is great. It’s quite ingenius and easy actually, you work a simple repeat, shaped with shortrows, until it’s big enough to wrap around your hips. It’s really cute, but knitted skirts have an inherent problem… sag. That same stretchy, drapey quality that can be so flattering on one’s upper half can sag and droop on the lower half. Hence, I decided to install a lining, a length of a silk habotai. I used a grosgrain ribbon to stabilize the waist and sewed the lining to that. You can see a little peak of the interior here. I skipped the button band, sewed up the seam about 75% of the way and used snaps as a functional closure. The buttons are decorative. With this finishing treatment, I think the skirt will last a good long time and look just as good at the end of the day as in the morning.
The yarn is Valley Yarn Northampton, my favorite worsted weight 100% wool. The put-up is great and I got this skirt out of 3 skeins; the cost is quite economical to begin with. It’s soft, and pilling is minimal. The fabric is warm and light and drapes nicely. The chestnut color, a deep brown, is a great neutral and will be perfect for fall. Too bad it’s nearly spring! Abstaining from the recent “deal of day” on this yarn was a challenge (I am “cold sheeping”). The buttons are dark wood, a perfect match for the yarn, from G Street.
This skirt fills a hole in my wardrobe, and it was also one of my 2012 WIPocalypse goals! Though spring is just around the corner, I’m excited to have it done and very happy with the finished product. Now I have another skirt in mind… Midtown. Maybe next fall!
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