Everett Henley

This is one of the reasons why my blog has been so quiet lately.  It’s the Everett Henley by Emily Ringelman.  The other reason is that my life has been boring.  So, it’s time to spice things up with another post about… a sweater.

The Everett Henley, by Emily Ringelman, is my third, and last, submission in the Holla Knits KAL this spring.  And, oh man, isn’t this color spring perfection?  I remember my mother talking about colors and seasons: Easter dresses, spring blouses, white shoes after March, etc and I’d just roll my eyes.  But, I do get it.  Even though barely anything died off in our winter, it’s still totally drab outside.  I need springtime too.

I’m not sure what my favorite thing about this design was.  Obviously I loved the stitch pattern because I had to re-knit so much and never got annoyed with it, even though it didn’t allow me to read or watch tv.  It looks so cool now that it’s blocked.  The idea of a lace top that’s a henley is probably the thing that got me.  I’m very casual and have always dressed kind of tomboyish.  So, for me, the button neck and shirttail hem compliment the bright purple lace and tone it down so well.  It’s buttoned-up lace.

I used size 0s and Berroco (which I think I have spelled three different ways in the course of knitting this) Vintage yarn and knitted the smallest size.  Now, I’m not a size 32″, but I find my gauge is always a hair off, and that hair ends up making my sweaters big enough to fit both myself and one of my children in it.  So I knit down and block out.  It’s my new mantra.

When I was done knitting it, it was a little tight under the arms and had no ease at all. Honestly, it was tighter than I expected.  That’s always a scary moment.  I know in my head that wool will stretch, especially if I don’t want it to, but making something that is tight after bind off still freaks me out.  On top of that, I didn’t know if vintage would block out since it’s not 100% wool.  But some Ravelry friends (thanks, Carrie, Allyson, and Emily) reassured me, so I immersed it.

It’s the same blocking ritual every time: I bind off then subconsciously hold my breath as I walk from my spot on the couch to the bath tub, where I cover it with water.  Animals scatter, people make excuses to hide in other rooms, I squeeze it out in a towel, and, only then, exhale.  It was just right.

The 60% of manmade whatever content in the yarn probably helped it dry overnight so I could squeeze in a few photos before the KAL ended.

If I’m not mistaken, this was Emily Ringelman’s first garment design.   That’s hard to believe!  If I were a designer, this is the kind of knit I would consider my piece de resistance and keep on a pedestal in my house.  I would then retire to a cabin in the woods, feeling like my work on this planet is done.

Anyway, since this design came out she’s been cranking out the sweaters.  Over the Fence is my next favorite.  If you want to see other finished objects for this knit along, check out the Holla Knits FO threads– lots of summer and winter tops, shorts, skirts, and a million accessories.  I can’t even keep up with that accessory thread.  I’d hoped to knit an accessory or two also, but considering my mistakes and busy-ness, plus the bear sweater interruption, I can’t believe I completed three.

(my ravelry, kollabora, and flickr)

Other posts on this top: planning, switching yarns, my mistakes, and joining in the round.