- Pattern: by Mary Annarella
- Yarn: Sanguine Gryphon Kypria (70 wool/20 bamboo/10 nylon), 932 yards
- Size/Needles/Gauge: 33″ with 1″ short row shaping, 6.25 spi on US 4’s
- Time to knit: 4.5 months mostly in UFO status
I started this project as part in late July as part of the SKC “Designer” KAL, and it took a while to finish (and even longer to get some photos under natural light)… better late than never, eh? Outdoor photos taken at the North Parade, Bath, England.
The pattern is well written, idiot proof without being annoyingly long, and the lace pattern isn’t hard to memorize. It also includes a detailed tutorial on horizontal bust darts, aka short row shaping. I learned that when knitting top down, you start with the shortest short rows and work your way out towards the sides. (When kniting top-up, you start with the longest short rows and work towards the center). Either way will give you the necessary extra height, but if you do it right, your dart will slant upwards which is more aesthetically pleasing.
The yarn is soft, warm and lightweight with a slight sheen and gorgeous inky purple semisolid dyejob. The outdoor photos above definitely capture the color and iridescence better. I got this project out of 2 skeins with very little leftover- maybe a yard. (I had less than the pattern requirements). Sanguine Gryphon is no more, having been split into two companies, and the base is discontinued. Anyway, it works perfectly as a fingering weight worked at slightly looser gauge for a sweater.
My favorite aspects of this project are the deep scoop neck, three quarter sleeves, and the deep purple color which seems gothic and spooky to me. I feel a bit witchy in it, appropriate given the name of the pattern. Elphaba = the Wicked Witch of the West.
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