A good omen indeed*

Well, I never again want to come this close to running out of yarn; as it was, I unraveled my gauge swatch, fished one foot-long strand out of the trash, re-sewed both side seams using different yarn so I could salvage those pieces-- and here is what remained (at left).  But it was worth it:  this golden yarn, Karabella Empire Silk, has been burning a hole in the pocket of my stash for months.  I must have bought it in late 2005 or early 2006, because I went looking for it after seeing Gabrielle Hamill's short sleeved top, worked in the same color, in the Spring/Summer 2005 issue of Vogue Knitting.  I could only find 5 skeins in this colorway--not quite enough for Ms. Hamill's pattern (of which photos can be found on Ravelry, but none in the color originally shown in the magazine).

I thought the combination of textures in the swatches I made for this top would be wonderful with this yarn; texture, sheen and color together reminded me of ancient gold jewelry, especially Etruscan pieces made with gold granulation, a technique in which tiny gold beads are fused to a gold surface.  Still, I was a little torn once I started, because the smooth surface of lots of stockinette really would have played up the sheen of the silk.  Plus, the garter stitch just seemed to gobble yardage; after getting halfway up the front, I gave up on the idea of a boat neck:  this top wanted to have a scooped neckline, front and back!  And sleeves?  Even tiny cap sleeves?  Forget it.

I persevered-- I just really liked the slip stitch columns against the garter, and I thought the slipped stitches would tie in perfectly with a simple narrow I-cord edge around the armholes and neck.  I picture wearing this top on a sultry summer evening, with a flowing skirt, or with white jeans...and gold jewelry, of course.  I think I'll name it "Etrusca," after the pre-Roman civilization that inspired it.

*My song didn't let me down.