From FILATI Lavori a maglia #14 (a magazine of knitting patterns I found in a kiosk in the Milano Centrale train station):

Recognize the Plaited Tam stitch pattern? (Maybe not--it looks a bit different in long, vertical panels like this!)  When I saw the photo of this sweater inside the magazine, I immediately fell in love with the bold combination of texture and openwork in this stitch pattern.  

I had also been imagining a tam in which the stitch pattern looked like ribbons, woven up the sides and across the top, so this seemed like a good swatching possibility.  Another thing I liked about the stitch pattern was that the decreases paired with yarnovers offered a perfect starting point for the crown decreases (always important in a hat!):  just omit the yarnovers.  

Once the design had been accepted and I got the yarn, SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Sport in a giddy green ("Savory"), the sample knitting proceeded unusually smoothly.  It was only after blocking what I thought was the finished sample that I realized I wasn't happy with the center of the top:  after the last "plait" crossing, I had tried to carry the central elements of the main stitch pattern as far as possible, and continue with purl sections which decreased rapidly to the center.  But with all the p2tog decreases needed, it looked sloppy to me.  So I ripped back the top, and instead tapered the stockinette "ribbons" to the center-- definitely an improvement.

In fact, I liked the tam so much, I decided to make myself one, but in a different yarn:  I chose Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash, in a heathered aqua (#1910--color is quite accurate in the photo above).  This is a light worsted weight yarn, versus the sport weight used in the original pattern, so I ended up making the smaller size*, with 7 repeats instead of 8.  (For more info on yarn requirements and finished size using Cascade 220, see my Ravelry projects page.)

*Actually I made the larger size first, but (surprise) it was TOO BIG. For more on that fiasco, see here.

I decided to knit myself a Plaited Tam, but I wanted to try a different yarn; even though I loved the SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Sport I used for the sample, it's not available locally, and can take up to four weeks to arrive if ordered from the SweetGeorgia website (since it's dyed to order).  So I decided to make things a little challenging for myself, and use a yarn of a different gauge:  Cascade 220 Superwash, which is more of a light worsted weight.  I did a swatch of a couple of repeats of the Plaited Tam stitch pattern, including the ribbing, and since one repeat measured 2 to 2 ¹/₄ inches at the bottom edge, after blocking, I figured the larger size, with 8 repeats, would give me a finished circumference of 16-18 inches.  Sounds good, right?  (I didn't care so much about the finished diameter of the tam-- a little oversized was fine with me).

I used Color #1910, a heathered aqua (color in photos is off-- it's much prettier in real life), and after blocking over a large plate, it was a bit oversized, at around 12" diameter.  But the ribbing part was only around 16" when measured while the tam was lying flat, so...

it was only when I tried to put it on that I realized that it was definitely too large!  I could not get it to stay on my head without it slipping down over my eyes, unless I perched it back behind my hairline (and then it looked like a wooly shower cap).

Lesson learned: even if a swatch seems to measure properly when lying flat, it is essential to consider how the fabric will behave when it's worn; in this case, the ribbing stretched too much under its own weight to hold the hat on my head.  I should have measured the swatch slightly stretched; when I did, one repeat measured 2 ³/₄ inches, which translates to a circumference of 22" (and my head is 21").  

Next:  I try knitting the smaller size!

 I've decided to join some of my fellow knitwear designers (click on each word in the preceding phrase and you will be linked to one of these designers' websites), and donate a portion of my pattern sales to aid the survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti.  Until Feb. 15th and retroactive to Jan. 15th, I will donate 50% of all Knititude pattern sales proceeds to Partners in Health.  

I didn't know much about this Boston-based organization until last week, when they contacted my husband, and asked him to help arrange private airplanes to fly 30 of their doctors, support personnel and supplies from FL to Haiti (they were unable to get commercial flights).  After two days on the phone, and in spite of several plane owners changing their minds at the last minute, he succeeded in getting everyone into Port-au-Prince (and very soon after, as I understand it, into field clinics and operating rooms).  

In the meantime, I did a little research.  From the Partners in Health website:

 Partners In Health (PIH) works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world. 

Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers. The vast majority of PIH staff are local nationals based in the communities we serve.  PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years.

The bestselling book Mountains Beyond Mountains is about one of PIH's founders, Paul Farmer.

Had I not felt a bit of a local and personal (albeit secondhand) connection to PIH, and felt that their presence in Haiti since 1985 put them in a unique position to help, I'm sure I would have donated to Doctors Without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has long been one of my favorite charities.  Anyway, according to their website they've been in Haiti since 1991, and I will continue to support them.  They are both great organizations! 

I wanted to have a sample of the girls' version of Cambia in one of the smaller sizes, since the body proportions of pre-adolescent girls are so different from those of adult women (by the way, I compared the CYCA guidelines for Child and Woman sizes to ensure that the two Cambia sizes which can be made for both girls and women, sizes Girls' 10-12/Women's XS and Girls' 14-16/Women's S, will work for both). 

In addition, after knitting the original women's size sample, I decided to change the cable stitch pattern slightly for the pattern, so I wanted to make absolutely sure that it still looked good, without too much space between the cables (for an explanation of why I made the change, see here).  For this sample, size 2-4, I used Dream in Color's "Visual Purple," and I followed the pattern directions as written.  Keep in mind that this is the smallest size, and that cables will look proportionally smaller in the larger sizes.

I've added a couple of photos of the girls' version to the pattern pdf, so I will email the updated pattern to everyone who has already purchased it.  In addition, I made a slight change to the directions, simplifying them.  For suggestions for yarn substitutions, see here.

I usually like to suggest some possible alternative yarns for my patterns:  I like to hit several yarn price points (and maybe if we're lucky, some of those yarns can be found on sale), some knitters are sensitive to one fiber or another, and some-- okay, all-- knitters have a few yarns in their stash that they are looking to use up. 

For Cambia, I have to put in a plug for Dream in Color Classy* (100% superfine merino wool), mainly because I feel that the color variations really add interest to Cambia's fairly simple stitch pattern.  The colors are beautiful, and there is no pooling of color in the finished garment (for photos of the Visual Purple and Deep Seaflower colorways, see here, here and here).  The yarn is also machine washable and a pleasure to work with, but there are many yarns with these last characteristics, so they are less of a factor in my strong recommendation that you give DiC Classy a try.  Note that some of their colors are more semisolid than others; I tend to prefer the semisolid colorways to the more wide-ranging color mixes. 

But of course there are many other yarns out there!  For this project, I would avoid 100% cotton, because the finished project would tend to be too heavy, and more likely to stretch out of shape than a pure or mixed animal fiber or synthetic.  Ditto for linen and silk-- except for the caveat that if you only want to wear the capelet "normally" (over both shoulders), the drape of a pure linen or silk yarn might be nice (but the cable stitch pattern would definitely have a flatter look to it).  Plant fibers mixed with wool or synthetic fibers should work fine.  Here are a few I like (as always, be sure to make a good-sized gauge swatch and measure it after blocking, whenever you substitute yarn in a pattern!): 

Cascade 220 (wool):  also comes in a superwash version.  

Cascade Venezia (wool/silk)

Classic Elite Verde Collection Solstice (cotton/wool)

Debbie Bliss Fez (merino/camel)

Fiesta Yarns Boomerang (superwash merino wool)

Knitpicks Andean Silk (alpaca/silk/merino wool)

Malabrigo Worsted (merino wool)

Spud & Chloe Sweater (wool/cotton)

Tahki Yarns Savoy (silk/merino) 

*Full disclosure:  I purchased all of the Dream in Color yarn I own, including what I used for Cambia,  from various retail yarn stores, and have received no payment or compensation of any kind from Dream in Color.

Pattern now available!

As promised, here are some more photos of the Cambia Capelet.  I took advantage of the recent snowfalls, which provided a pretty background for pictures, but in fact I think Cambia is really perfect for fall or early spring, when it makes a great outer later. 

Having said that, I've been throwing it on inside the house when I feel a bit of a chill, and it's been wonderful!  I can still knit or work at my computer while wearing it, and with no front or back (and no right or wrong side-- it can be worn with either side facing out), it couldn't be easier.  

And I think it's quite flattering.  The wide neck opening frames the face nicely, and keeps the wool from touching the neck-- a plus for those of us with sensitive skin.  It's sized so that it fits comfortably (not tightly) over bust and arms, but without a lot of ease; the above-elbow length and the stretch of the fabric are what make it work (although if you're planning to shoot baskets, or hail a cab, you might want to wear it over just one shoulder, or as a skirt!*).

I should mention that the sample pictured differs slightly from the pattern version: in the pattern, for all girls' sizes and for women's sizes XS-L, there are 2 additional stitches in each purl section (between cables), and for women's sizes 1X and 2X, there are 3 additional stitches.  The photo below shows a swatch with the 2 added purl stitches, superimposed over the sample capelet. 

Why the change?  Well, each yoke-shaping decrease removes one purl stitch from between the cables, and when I started grading the pattern for different sizes, I quickly realized that this method wouldn't get the neck opening small enough for sizes L-3X. 

The reason this was only a problem in the larger sizes is that the increases in bust and arm circumferences with each size are not proportional to the increase in cross back (shoulder width), which changes only an inch from sizes L to 3X.  I didn't think the capelet would look right if the upper edge didn't fall inside the ends of the shoulders (even though this would also mean that in sizes 1X and 2X, the over-one-shoulder and skirt options would not work-- the upper edge circumference just would not be large enough). 

So my only choice was to start with more stitches in each purl section, and I reluctantly decided not to offer a size 3X, which would have required adding 5 stitches to each purl section (compared to the pictured capelet) to achieve the shaping I wanted.

Other than the cables being slightly farther apart in the pattern vs. the pictured version, the other difference, in women's sizes XS and S ONLY, is that the neck opening will be slightly smaller than pictured (about 2" smaller in size S).  It will still be a wide boat neck in all sizes, and should still allow the capelet to be worn as a skirt or over one shoulder (except for sizes 1X and 2X).

I'm working right now on a sample for size 2-4, from the final pattern, so hopefully I'll soon have photos of the girls' version of Cambia! 

*Except for sizes 1X and 2X-- see text for explanation.

I paid a visit to the CYCA's website the other day to look at their charts for body measurements and standard sizing, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they have added measurements for upper arm circumference and armhole depth to all of their charts-- Baby, Child/Youth, Man and Woman.  I also seem to recall that they didn't used to have measurements for waist circumference...is that possible?!  Anyway, they do now.  They also have a Foot Size chart, which I don't recall seeing before-- although I'm not much of a sock knitter, so maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

If you've never used these charts before, they are very handy for pattern writing, and really essential if you want to write patterns for most publications.  Even if you have no interest in creating patterns for different sizes, it's nice for you as a knitter to know how your own measurements differ from the "standard" (and almost everyone has a few non-standard dimensions!); it will be helpful in predicting how you might need to adjust pattern instructions to better fit your body.

Important note to all Fern Fitted Shell pattern purchasers:  I just added a new errata, which is now incorporated into the pattern pdf.  If you'd like a corrected version of the pattern, just email me.

In the last month I've taken myself and both of my sons for eye exams, which is perhaps why I have that phrase, "Which is better, one... or two?" stuck in my head.  I can picture myself sitting there, that funky optometrist apparatus in front of my face like some futuristic Carnivale mask-slash-headdress, and hear the clicking of the lenses as they are shifted back and forth with each repetition of those words.

But that is neither here nor there.  In this case, I'm wondering which of these swatches you like better:  One...

or Two?  The first would normally be called the "right" side, with the clearly delineated cables, but when I swatched for this capelet, I discovered that because of the way I set up the cables, and the way they move diagonally, narrow tendrils of knit stitches traverse the "wrong" side surface.  I liked this side enough that I decided to make this capelet reversible, paying attention to the transitions to ribbing at top and bottom of both right and wrong sides, and carefully weaving in my loose ends (of which there weren't many, thanks to those nice big 4 oz. skeins of Dream in Color Classy*).

And I decided to name this capelet Cambia (Italian for "it changes"), because it can be worn with either side out; over one shoulder only; or even as a skirt!  More pics coming soon to demonstrate.

*By the way, the yarn colors (colorway "Deep Seaflower")-- many subtle shadings of turquoise, blue, violet, and pewter-- are reproduced quite accurately in these photos; pretty, aren't they?

In just a couple of short weeks, I've traveled far in space and time:  from snowy shores

to sunny; from 2009 to 2010;

and back to snowy, and back to work again!

I've been doing a lot of swatching in the past few weeks, both for unbloggable projects and for this capelet (thanks, Karen and Erin-- "capelet" is a much better term than "poncho"!).  I really loved the Dream in Color "Grey Tabby" swatch for the capelet, but I only had two skeins of it, and had trouble locating more, so I decided to try another one of their many tempting colorways. 

My nearby LYSs don't carry Dream in Color Classy, so after looking at many of their colorways on different websites, and worked into different projects on Ravelry, I finally bought some Visual Purple online from Woolgirl (great store and wonderful customer service, by the way).  Unfortunately, each of the three skeins was noticeably different in color from the others-- not completely unexpected for handpainted yarns, which don't usually have dye lots.  So I decided that, as is generally recommended with these yarns, I would have to alternate skeins, working a couple of rounds in one, and then switching to another. 

After a few rounds I put this project aside for a week or so-- I just got scared by how very intensely purple it was!  (Much more vivid than it looks in these photos.)  I started thinking about how my wardrobe tends toward neutrals, and wondered if I would ever dare to wear such a royally assertive hue...but every time I glanced over at the fledgling capelet, I was struck by how gorgeous the color variations were, and how they changed in different lights (the bluer photo was shot in daylight only, and the redder one under incandescent light and daylight combined).  So after I got used to the purple, I started working again. 

But I'm afraid this project is destined for frogging, for a few reasons; I might have persevered if only one of them was true, but the combination was too much.  1) It's a pain to switch skeins every couple of rounds.  2) More importantly, it leaves little floats on the wrong side, and when I swatched this stitch pattern, I realized that the wrong side is very interesting, so I want this capelet to be reversible.  If the yarn wasn't superwash, I would have done felted joins-- but it is, so I didn't (and what a pain all those felted joins would have been!).  3) Most importantly, I think it would have been too big.  It was a bit tricky measuring my swatch because of the way the stitch pattern slants.

In the future, I will try to do as Connie recommended:  buy my handpainted yarn from a bricks-and-mortar store, so I can match the skeins, and forget about alternating from skeins while knitting.  Luckily, I had also purchased (online from WEBS) five skeins of Dream in Color Classy in Deep Seaflower, a wonderful combination of blues and violets, and was able to match three of those quite closely-- I think.  So I've already started my capelet again, with fewer stitches and a slight change in stitch pattern.  Wish me luck!

*Rhodopsin-- the retinal pigment that allows us to see in low-light conditions-- is also known as "visual purple."  From Wikipedia:  "Exposed to light, the pigment immediately photobleaches, and it takes about 30 minutes to regenerate fully in humans."  This is why it takes your eyes awhile to adapt when you go from a bright to a low light environment.  Did you know that your eyes dark-adapt separately from each other?  This is kind of fun:  in a dim room, when your eyes are fully dark-adapted (so you can see objects in the room fairly well), cover one completely, and then turn a bright light on for a few seconds.  When you turn it off, the uncovered eye will hardly be able to see anything, but if you uncover the other eye, it will still be dark-adapted, and you'll be able to see just as well as you could before!