Dilemma

[ricardienne]

So, I returned home from vacation (woe) to find an e-mail from the chair: when can I come in to let her know how my work went this summer? So naturally I am doing something quite different.
I've started knitting again, and I really want to make this sweater


I've gone through the pattern (from the Antique Pattern Library), which is quite straightforward for a 1917 pattern and the measurements are almost exactly those of a sweater coat that I own (if the pattern's gauge is correct (121 sts = 20"), the given size (36) measures about 38.5" around the bust, whereas the larger size (38-40) measures 45" -- while 38" is a little bit narrow for a sweater that I'm planning to wear over something, I'm closer to the 36 than I am to the 38-40, interestingly enough, since one tends to think that vintage patterns are a lot smaller than modern sizing (where I'm usually a 42-4, as it happens)). I think I'm going to start from the larger size to get a fuller hem at the bottom, then add a few more decreases before the waistline, follow the smaller pattern for a bit, and add increases after the belt if necessary (they happen on the sides, so as long as they happen two at a time, it shouldn't be hard).

Which means that the real dilemma now is color. The pattern instructs me to use "old rose" with white contrast, which I am definitely not going to do. First I thought maybe a richer color like this, with maybe a pale gray contrast. But maybe I should stay with more muted, '20's-esque colors? Like this dusty green? (The latter yarn is slightly heavier modern "worsted weight", which might be the right yarn. "Knitting worsted" used to mean lighter, sportweight yarn, but maybe "Scotch" is an indication that its more heavy duty? ARGH. Someone has put this pattern up on Ravelry, where they recommend modern worsted weight. But they also say that you have to take into account the fact that people were still wearing corsets in the 1910's -- true enough, except that this pattern does not do any waist shaping: the circumference at the bust and the circumference at the waist are exactly the same. So I'm not exactly inclined to trust that they really looked into how this pattern is supposed to work.) What should I do?

Comments

[awomanthatsblue.livejournal.com]

I think it would be nice in either of your color choices--I know, no help there!

Has anyone actually made one yet, or is the pattern just up?

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

It looks like a couple of people are/were working on it, but no one has done a full write up or posted pictures or anything. (I actually found the pattern elsewhere, then came across it on Ravelry while trying to figure out what weight yarn I should use. I think I'll experiment with swatches in different types (and different needle sizes -- sigh) to figure out what I should use. Or I could work on my dissertation...

[achyvi.livejournal.com]

I really like the first color combo, but I am also a sucker for purple, so... and it's a nice jewel-y tone, so it will be flattering with lots of other garments! And light grey is always lovely. The dusty green is nice, too, but you'd have to be sure that the green isn't too dusty. I feel like it'd be easy for that one to look ratty even though it isn't. If you use more modern color schemes, I bet that'd help keep it more in the realm of "inspired by" instead of "I stole this from great-grandma's closet"... which is not to say that you should go one way or the other, but I feel like you shouldn't limit yourself to certain colors if you really like another, you know? You're the one that's going to be wearing it, after all! And if you're going to be rocking something as awesome as a stripey sailor collar, then you should absolutely make it your own,

Have you checked to see if the historical knitting writer from Knitty has ever covered a similar sweater? He might be able to offer some insight at least into modern yarn weight equivalents and such. The picture, at least, doesn't really make it look like the model was wearing a heavy corset, so I can't imagine it'd be all that different, and, as you said, there's no waist shaping so it really doesn't matter anyway! The pattern looks pretty straightforward, too, so one would think that using your judgement and doing extensive swatching would take care of a lot of the sizing problems as you go.

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Good point about the color. Also, thanks for sending me to the Knitty writer. There's an article where he deals with a child's sweater from 1912 which is constructed really similarly to this one (start at the back hem, knit up the back, and over the shoulders in two halves down to the bottom of the front hem), and I suspect it will be a good reference article in case I get stuck on things like turning the work and so forth. (I uh, also might have gotten really distracted by his blog, where he is currently working on Victorian wool speedo-style swimming trunks)

I'm beginning to suspect that I should probably use the finer yarn -- 6 sts/inch is more likely to be DK weight, from what I can find, but I need to experiment a bit.

[achyvi.livejournal.com]

His work is really great, right?! Good resource and entertaining.

Worse comes to worse, you could always go with whatever looks best to you, so long as you plan sizing appropriately. Yarn substitutions are totally historically faithful. :D

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

Well, as you say: I'm not trying to make a reproduction, but an awesome sweater that I can wear!