While I continue to ponder what I am going to do with my new handspun, and whether I am going to spin the contrasting chocolately brown that I purchased to go with it (I was thinking sock heels and toes, but now I am not so sure I want this lovely stuff to be hidden in my shoes), I decided to get back in touch with an ongoing project.  It seemed a little silly to let Nicole languish with just two short straps to complete, so I put aside my wheel for a bit to rectify the situation.

And because I love the lace details:

All that remains now are the armhole and neckline treatments and then I'll be off to shop for buttons while I block it out.  Much blocking she will need, will Nicole, if she is going to lay right and not have a curly bottom.  I'm quite looking forward to getting her to the end zone.

In the last three weeks, my work life has changed rather significantly.  Different hours, different colleagues, different dress code.  For the time being, my crafty time is more constrained than it has been for quite some time, so I find myself really thinking hard about what I want to do with it.  

I do like to knit for wardrobe, but my current work lifestyle is not one that accomodates big slouchy sweaters or garments that are too "out there".  I find myself mostly in dress slacks, dress shirts and layering pieces like jackets and vests.  There's room for sweaters, but the types I think work best are those in very fine gauges and simple patterns with fitted shaping.  There seems to be two places that look to work best when it comes for knitwear:

1) Layering pieces like vests that help give dress shirts a bit more interest and help add a little bit more structure or make blouses that are a little bit sheer a bit more work appropriate.
2) Accent scarves that can be used to bring in a little color and provide a little hint of personal creativity without screaming "Yo! Look at me!  I like to knit"*

Thrown into this mix, I have to consider another factor, one that's been vexing me for almost a year now: I think I'm sensitive, and not in a good way, to wool.  I'm still experimenting with this, but it does seem that when I knit with wool, the eczema on my hands is more likely to flare up.  When I wear wool sweaters, my back seems to get worse.  When I wear wool socks, it seems like my legs and feet get more irriated and itchy.  I'm currently experimenting with eliminating wool from my wardrobe diet,  While it doesn't eliminate my problems, it certainly seems to reduce them.  So not only am I changing the types of garments that I am likely to knit, I'm also going to be changing up their fiber composition.  Fortunately, this is a good time to be looking at wool alternatives.  There are many fabulous cotton, silk, bamboo, linen yarns as well as many blends that really look delightful.

So I've been looking for patterns that meet my new wardrobe needs, are knit at finer gauge, and look good knit out of non-wooly yarn.  THe first place I decided to start looking was at ChicKnits, since I know Bonne Marie has been actively interested in developing patterns that "go to work".  With summer and lighter weight dress around the corner, I decided to start with Nicole -- a little vest that has a lot of visual and knitting interest, can layer well, and also can be knit in DK weight cotton.  


In the spirit of both work appropriate and compatible with a wide variety of under pinnings, I chose Rowan's Purelife Organic DK Cotton in a taupe-y shade (whose name escapes me at the moment).  The yarn is dyed with natural color dyes and  has subtle variations that add depth without being too pronounced about it.  I swatched it up on the suggetested size needles (Addi Turbo 3.75 mm "lace" style) -- I always take it as a good sign for a project when I get gauge on the first try.


I'm actually going up to a slightly larger size than I would normally knit for myself to accomodate both an "under layer" as well as a bra with more solid structure (which seems to have become one of the most necessary parts of my wardobe post-child)... and also because a number of Nicoles on Ravelry look a little too close fitting for a somewhat conservative work environment.  So far, as I knit on the project, the size has the right "feel" -- hopefully that will continue to be the way it is as I go on.

*Not that there is *anything* at all wrong as being identified as a knitter.... it's just that in a professional setting, I'd like to be remembered for my business acumen or personal enthusiasm for a particular project instead of just as "that woman wearing the wild scarf".