June 3, 2008

Kit 70 - Completed

Since it was a gift, it was important for me to "get it right"...

That meant following the pattern's suggestion on gauge, measurement and fit...

Did the Habu Kit-70 redeem my faith in knitting or knitting patterns?

Well, it is what it is...

Airy - A sweater that's light as a feather, knit on fine gauge yarn and large needles:



Fragile - An extra effort needed to avoid catching the sweater on sharp objects and being cautious about pulling on buttons/stretching button holes:


Minimal - A sweater with clean lines, simple shaping and construction.

And in keeping with the minimalist styling of the pattern, I took it a step further...

Stockinette - Decided to make the public side of the garment in stockinette stitch instead of reverse stockinette (smoother appearance - less 'bumpy'):




Hidden Seams - Employed mattress stitch for the arms/shoulders/neck, invisible horizontal seam for the sides and grafted the collar pieces together:




Improvements - More minimalism:

If I were to make this sweater for myself, I would make it even more minimal by changing the closures, attaching some hidden metal or magnetic snaps.

While I'm on that tangent, is there such a thing as magnetic yarn? I suppose you could get some metallic yarn and 'charge' it with a magnet. If it actually worked, you could hold the magnetized yarn with the main yarn where needed, resulting in a very minimal and invisible closure.

Fabric - Denser:

Fine gauge yarn is perfect for this pattern, only it needs to be knit on a more 'appropriate' needle size. Next time, I would probably choose a DK weight yarn and knit it on size 4-6 US needle. This would give the garment more strength and 'memory' that is lacking.

As noted on my previous post, I used US size 8 needles and got the corrected/suggested gauge of 16 stitches & 25 rows per 4 inches of stockinette fabric.

It would also be cool to incorporate some of the Habu stainless steel yarn into both the collar and plackets. That way, those pieces would hold their shape 'vertically' when unbuttoned or left open.

Sizing - Larger:

All the panels were knit and shaped to the specifications of the pattern, but the sweater came out more form fitting than what Habu's photo represented (the photo makes the sweater look more 'over-sized' and 'roomy' than it really is).

I like the oversized jacket 'concept' better and would resize the garment accordingly (more positive ease - additional length/width/larger arms/broader to fit my shoulders).

12 comments:

Carlene said...

Gorgeous!

soknitpicky said...

It's so beautiful! Did you end up using the pattern's gauge or the "revised" row gauge you mentioned in your last post? As for magnetic yarn, I don't know of any. There is a yarn that conducts electricity, but it's not anything you could use in a minimalist look, I don't think.

http://www.ifmachines.com/products_puffKit.html

OLGAJAZZY said...

Kent, FABULOUS work done! Thank you so much for your share of the beautiful pictures and craftsmanship!!
Bravo!!!

kirsten said...

well, kent, i think it looks like magic!
love your variations to the pattern.
i am about to re-do my buttons and use some cotton tape behind to stitch through the knit to prevent the "pull" on the buttons. and also perhaps run some down the inside face of the plackets for extra structure.
i was thinking the lambswool yarn is fragile/easy to break and also has no memory - is this your experience, too?

kirsten @ assemblage.typepad.com

Jane said...

Looks so soft and the yarn looks lovely. The buttons look great

Unknown said...

Oh gosh, it's beautiful and I have found all your comments/analysis extremely useful.

Anonymous said...

Thanks everyone :)!!!

geri hirsch said...

beautiful!

Artie Hasslefactor said...

Beautiful! I love Habu's yarns and patterns.

As for magnetic yarn...great idea, as long as you:

(1) Don't depend on your watch;
(2) Enjoy attracting things like pins and needles;
(3) Stay away from credit cards;
(4) Don't touch your monitor, TV, or any other LCD or CRT screen; and
(5) Get the polarity right so the garment doesn't keep flying open.

ulli said...

stunning! and thank you for your insights, they are very helpful

porter hovey said...

Ohhh! Just great!!!

Ana said...

Wow, that magnetic yarn thing got me thinking... there are a lot of lightly magnetic closures on purses now that just work to snap the top shut for you. I bet you could do some sort of pocket or i-cord along the edge and slip a magnet into them, though that wouldn't be as elegant as actual magnetic yarn. I'm going to keep an eye out for something that might work.