I finished my red ruffle tank (rav link). Leigh Radford is the designer, and this is the second time I’ve knit this pattern. Last time I knit with Louet MerLin, a merino/linen blend. This time it’s linen all the way, Louet Euroflax sport in burgundy.
I had set this project aside to work on the Zen Rain KAL and the This Little Ziggy vests, but I really wanted to wear it to OFFF. At the beginning of the week, I could tell that I was going to have to do some marathon knitting, which isn’t that much fun with linen! I just had one shoulder to finish and and join to the other, four ruffles to knit, and some i-cord edgings. I had already worked this in the round so there were no side seams to deal with, and omitted the keyhole back neck and just made the back shaping match the front. Even so, I took a few shortcuts at the end. Instead of applied i-cord I opted for a simple slip stitch crochet edging around the neck and armholes. After the crochet bind-off on the first ruffle, I did a purl bind-off on the rest because it was faster for me. Still, I finished binding off my last ruffle at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Knowing that I could put this yarn in the washer and dryer meant that I could go to bed and hope for the best in the morning!
The fabric was really crispy before I washed it, almost like a net. I opted to wash it by hand, and I’m really glad I did. I filled the kitchen sink with warm water and a bit of Soak (love this product) and started squishing it. There was a lot of excess dye, so I ended up rinsing it 6 times, and the water was still pink. But oh, the transformation! When I first started handling it, the fabric was stiff and rough. With each subsequent sink full of water, the fabric became progressively more like…fabric! It was so much fun to feel this transformation with my hands. It was still a bit stiff when I was done, but it was headed for the dryer.
I put it in the dryer and checked it every 15 minutes. What an adventure! (I know, I should wash and block my swatches, but then where would the excitement be?) When it was dry, it was a slinky feeling piece of fabric, almost fluid. It is amazing. I love it. It is so comfortable to wear, even on a hot and humid day at OFFF. And it’s a good thing I wore it Saturday, because Sunday was rainy and cold.
I’m glad I got it finished, and I’m glad it fits! I think in a perfect world it would be an inch narrower, but I had already altered it to make it smaller than the smallest size. If it still bothers me the next time I wear it, I’ll crochet a little seam along the sides from the inside. Until then…absolute love.
PDXKnitterati 