- Pattern: Iris by Sarah Hattan from Rowan 45
- Yarn: Elann Lara (mercerized cotton) “antique blue”, 1104 yards
- Size/Needles/Gauge: 35″, 5.75 spi on US 3’s
- Time to knit: Well, I started in 2011…
This project was a long time coming. It involved lots of frogging after a four year hiatus. Finally, it is finished, and I am pleased though the fit across the bust is a bit tight (bust is bigger from nursing).
The pattern is fine, no errata, written in a pithy manner that I appreciate. The lace is charted, though it is easy enough to memorize. The schematic is mimimal, for example there is no measurement for hem to armscye. Back in 2011, I knit the left front too long before beginning the armcye, so that had to be frogged when I realized my mistake in 2015. And then I had to frog and reknit most of the second sleeve because I knit it with US 2.5’s instead of US 3’s. It looked fine, but it was shorter than the first sleeve.
The yarn, Elann Lara, is a light sportweight mercerized cotton plied from many tiny threads. It is much nicer to wear than to knit with, in my opinion. The color is rich, has a nice sheen; the fabric is soft and drapey. The stitch definition is fantastic, which is gratifying for a detailed pattern like Iris. However, it was incredibly splitty and frequently drove me bonkers. Using a nice sharp needle (knitpicks options) helped. The blue shell buttons are from G Street in Falls Church, VA.
Iris is a versatile piece for my wardrobe. I like the allover lace and v-neck. Beyond that, I’ve never been so glad to see the end of a project. Between the splitty yarn and my misreading of the pattern and subsequent frogging, it really felt like a slog at times. I’m glad to have the FO but I wouldn’t do it again!
P.S. I made the skirt too! I’ll post about that little project soon.
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