Almost exactly 2 years ago I started working on this project but I didn't get very far. I knit one sleeve using different colors but I was worried about gauge and fit. I did a couple of restarts but was never really happy with the results so I put it in a timeout. It didn't help that I knocked a Dr. Pepper over and splashed a not insignificant amount into the project bag. In the intervening years I have bought several of the color work kits they have offered, yarn for the second project in the book, and new yarn for this project. This time I purchased more yarn than my size called for, to give me some cushion. The original yarn will not go to waste, I'll use it for sampling and swatching. Last week I pulled the yarn and the book back out and decided to go back to basics. I swatched again, using the previous yarn.
The swatch on the right was done on the needle size the pattern calls for (4 mm), but is too loose. It is not a bad fabric, if I wanted a wrap that had some drape. I then swatched on US 3 (3.25 mm) and hit the gauge spot on. I have gotten pretty good at knowing what size needle I should use with yarn to get the right gauge. I then spent last week reading over the pattern and comparing the measurements of the schematic with my measurements. The smallest size mostly works for me, but I'm high waisted and small on top, I need a deeper armhole, and my shoulders are fairly broad. Yesterday I finally cast on. This time I'm using Red Rattle as the main color and Whin as the contrast color.
These are far more my kind of colors than the original colors that I picked. I like jewel tones. I decided to work the body in one piece up to the armholes. Instead of the cast on called for in the pattern - making a chain of picots and then picking up stitches - I did a regular picot cast on, knit two rows and then did the colorwork and switched to the main color as the pattern called for. For the short row shaping I did each section separately, but did not break the yarn between sections. I started with the right front and worked through the last right side row of the fourth decrease. I then knit across to where the short rows start for the back and worked through the last right side row of the fourth decrease. Because I had knit across to where the short rows started I wrapped and turned when I was working on that side of the back because I didn't have that purl ridge to work with. I then knit across the left front and worked through the fourth decrease, wrapping and turning. Then I purled back across the entire body, picking up any wrapped stitches as I went. I'm skipping the decreases on the body and going right to the straight section after the last body decrease. I'll work 4 fewer increases to compensate for not working the decreases. I think this will shorten the body enough to account for my high waist. I'll start the armholes early, to give me more room, and I'm going to knit the sleeves from the top down in the round, which should give me the fit that I need.
Pattern: Elizabeth Woodville, by Alice Starmore from Tudor Roses (2013 edition)
Yarn: Alice Starmore Hebridean 2 Ply (277 g in Red Rattle & 50 g in Whin)
Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm)
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