Biscotti Top Round Up

I realized after I posted yesterday that I didn't really give this project a proper completion party. So now that I have a few shots of me in the top, I think it's time to put together a more impressive send off.

Before I get to the pictures, let me state the particulars: the yarn for this top is ArtFibers Biscotti in the "Shadowbox" colorway -- a mix of black, blue, green and brown. This yarn is referred to as "bead chain" and is 100% Nylong/Microfiber. At close to recommended gauge, it knits up into a lovely drapey fabric. I should mention that all of the yarns that ArtFibers sells are custom made and dyed for them. And when you buy from ArtFibers, they will help you custom design a garment meant to be perfect for you. This top was designed after I swatched in the store and worked with one of the wonderful friendly store employees. Before I left the store, I was told that they offer the same services to their online buyers -- you just have to give them measurements and guidlines for the shaping and style. And they are happy to mail out samples so that you can swatch in the comfort of your own home. So you don't have to go to San Francisco to get personalized attention and a custom garment!*

From a picture taking perspective, it was probably unfortunate that I chose such a dark colorway, so you'll have to use your imagination as far as the texture and color details are concerned. But I hope these shots will give a good sense of the fit and shape of the garment.

Front

Side

Back

I'm pretty much in love with this yarn and this top. The fabric is soft and drapey and the top is comfortable and a little sexy without being dramatically revealing. To test out the "go to work" aspects of the top, I did, in fact, wear it to work. The top and I both had a great day. I haven't noticed any adverse gravitational effects, nor did it snag easily. And all my woven in ends stayed in place too, in spite of the fact that Biscotti is a tad slippery.

One question came up in my comments yesterday -- why didn't I do this top in the round? The answer is: structure. Since I didn't know this yarn very well, I was concerned that knitting the garment in the round would leave it without any good structural side seams and the garment would bag or lose its shape. (In addition to the side seams, the neckline and armhole ribbing also do a very nice job of adding structure). A second reason was that I knit my swatch flat and I would have had to re-swatch for an in the round project. And finally, I wanted a portable project. This project was easier to schlep around in pieces than it would have been all in one piece, and it was nice to have the seams to tuck some ends into.

What did I learn?

• Seams can be a good thing.
• Knitting collars and armhole edging flat has some advantages. For one, it kept my tension looser and that meant that I was able to get the top over my head. No unpleasant ripping!
• Dynamic texture hides all manner of ills, and in particular, makes seams almost invisible. Especially in a dark fabric.
• This yarn is no fun to seam with, but it's worth the payoff if you do, since the color and texture match perfectly (of course).
• Biscotti will snag if you catch it on things like ragged fingernails or other things with jagged edges. You do have to be a little careful when knitting with it. It's tough stuff though. Don't expect to break a strand of this stuff without scissors.
• This top is going to be a nice wardrobe addition. It's dressy enough for work, but not so dressy that it can't go out and play a little bit. And it goes ever so well with my favorite black pearl pendant!

I was going to add "don't be afraid to try texture" but at this point, that's a lesson I've long since learned and taken. I love yarns with their own special texture. Yarns where even "simple stockinette" looks neat because the yarn adds it's own extra dimension.

I had a great time at our KIP tonight. So nice to be done with school and able to take time to go do some more knitting things. Most of what I did was swatch. I really like the Phil Ruban, but I think I am going to have to try to get another skein... as much as I might like to, I don't think I am going to be able to squeeze myself into a top that is 32 inches around. I'm thinking I might add a stripe of a contrasting color to the top I want to make. Now I'm just going to have to find another skein of the stuff somewhere... Hmmm...

*And for anyone who is interested, these patterns are created with the help of a neat program called Knitware Design. I got to see the program in action and I was pretty impressed. The schematics the software creates are really great! I'm a sucker for great schematics, and I'll likely be buying a copy soon, myself. And there's even a demo that you can download if you want to check it out.