Hello! If you don’t come here for the knitting and are bored with talk of garment construction, stitch patterns, and the like, then my apologies. Move along please! Nothing to see here!
I can now report that another pattern is ready. This was a very interesting project for me, as it is the first garment I have designed in which I began by thinking about what writing a pattern would involve. Shrugs are pretty much a summer essential in my wardrobe: personally, I find that they are more wearable than shawls, and look neater than a cardigan over the dresses that I tend to favour at this time of year. Lots of knitters (like my sister) seem to make shrugs to match individual outfits, particularly those that they intend to wear at summer weddings. I’ve noted quite a bit of shrug-related discussion along these lines over recent months; for example here on stash and burn and here over at fig and plum.
Shrug-construction is an intriguing matter. Once one moves on from the basic idea of a side-to-side seamed rectangle, they can be formed in a multitude of ways: from centre to sides (as in Lisa Daehlin’s perenially popular Viennese Shrug), as a square or lozenge with a knit-on edging (as in Mel Clark’s lacy hug me tight), or in a novel modifed T-shape (as in Alice’s Ester). The diagram shows the construction I’ve used here. I started with a provisional cast on, knit up the back, increased stitches to shape the sleeves, put the centre stitches on hold for the neck, worked over the shoulders and fronts, and knit back down again, mirroring the back shaping. The seams are joined under the arms (where you don’t see ’em), then stitches are picked up all the way round the front and back openings, and joined to those on-hold, before adding a ribbed edging which is worked in the round. The key to this construction is a stitch pattern that looks exactly the same right-way up and upside-down. I had such a one in mind, and built my shrug around a modified version of what Barbara Walker calls ’tilted ladder’, but which has other names elsewhere. This is the kind of lace-and-cable stitch that I really like. It is logical, it is rhythmic, it is fixed in my scatty brain after just one repeat, I can immediately see where I am in the pattern, and its so berloody simple even I can knit it on a train in a near-comatose state after a long day at work.
Its also one of those deceptive stitch patterns whose visual and textural interest suggests more complexity than it actually possesses. Ah yes! My very favourite kind. I’ve used a yarn with a bright, sharp stitch definition that I really like: rowan 4 ply soft. It shows off cables and lace superlatively well, is easy to care for, and comes in a good range of colours. One thing to note (if you are looking at the way the shrug sits in this photo) is that one of my physical peculiarities is a short torso, matched with comparatively long legs (long? who am I kidding? for I am 5 ft 2″). Anyway, the garment’s finished length is between 15 and 16 inches, and the back will look shorter on anyone whose torso is longer. There are just three easy fitting sizes in the finished pattern, which will accommodate any chest measurement from 28 to 44 inches. That’s it for the detail, then, but can I just say that from start to finish, this has been an immensely satisfying project? I enjoyed thinking about the design, loved knitting it, and am very pleased with the end result and indeed the finished pattern (though I do say so myself).
The design name is Lyttelton, and I shall now tell you why (though I fear my reasoning has a degrees-of-separation quality which makes it completely inexplicable). Here goes, anyway:
1) the pattern involves a lace trellis
2) the word ‘trellis’ kept popping into my head while I was knitting.
3) this put me in mind of Mrs Trellis of North Wales, the eccentric and mysterious correspondent of Radio 4’s long running antidote to panel games, I’m Sorry, I haven’t a Clue.
4) until his sad death last year, this show was chaired by the incomparable Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz trumpeter and comedy genius, who has held a place in my affections since my Dad took me to hear him play a gig in Todmorden in 1985.
5) this shrug’s for you, Humph.
Now to what you are all wanting to know if you have actually stayed with me thus far: where the hell were you throwing those shapes? Well, yes this is Scotland, and these photographs were taken a couple of weekends ago on Traigh Lar beach on the Hebridean island of Harris, a location of unique and tremendous beauty to which I am already looking forward to returning. That beach really is that incredible — the weather was hot, the sea was cool, the views were amazing, and there was no-one else around.
So to anyone who fancies knitting themselves a Lyttelton: the pattern is now available through ravelry or above from the designs page. And to my mother who has an unshakeable idea of Scottish island weather based on one blustery school trip to Arran many, many moons ago can I just say: Yes, Ma, Harris is just like Barbados.
What a gorgeous design…..and I’m 5ft 2 …, perfect height if you ask me
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Edwina says:
How could you ever leave the beach! ….and wearing the shrug as well.
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Hi, I just found you from Ravelry. I live in Lyttelton Harbour in New Zealand and couldn’t resist checking out the shrug to see how you had come up with the name! Loved your train of thought :-)
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hello, just found your lovely blog – through Dorset Cereals blog nominations no less! what fabulous photos and what a talented and inspiring person you are. Did you make your lovely dress? Do you have a pattern for that too?!! thank you
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Lovely shrug…and what a perfect place to show it off! Humph would surely approve..:)
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Oh brilliant name!! And I love the garment too. Well done!!
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lovely to see harris, reminds me of time spent on luskantyre as an enormously sulky teenager on hols with mother – still enjoyed the view and oddly warm weather despite adolescent gloom. nice shrug too!
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Kate, it is simply lovely…and thank you so much ONCE AGAIN, for your generosity in sharing this. Sue.
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Your six-degrees-of-separation logic? I do that. All the time. Drives people crazy sometimes. But your shrug should not drive anyone crazy. It’s lovely AND practical!
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Shrugalicious! I love the stitch pattern, shape, and yarn color. Such a garment will be especially welcome once fall rolls around.
What design program do you use for your charts?
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Oh, lovely! As soon as I saw the name I thought it must be for Humph, and I completely get your chain of logic.
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Ooh yeah – lovely! And of course I love the jazz associations. (N.B. Don’t forget to listen to Caribbean Voices on the World Service on 22 July at 8pm)
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I highly commend everything about this pattern, including the location shots and the styling. Fantastic.
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Wow! I love this shrug … how lovely. I already have Owls in my queue (and have bought the yarn – yay!), now I will have to add this as well. And what a cute dress and shoes.
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Luckily I do come here for the knitting content too – mwahhhhhh! (insane laughter in style of a yarn crazed person taking over the world). Absolutely blooming gorgeous! Will deffo be making one of these out of the wool from Artisan threads and I love the careful description of the process. (I’m still trying to work out how that shrug waistcoat thing I took the photo of will work in real life….)
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That’s a yummy shrug and I’m feeling nostalgic for the islands now.
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A Humphrey Lyttleton Shrug. Whatever next. Perhaps you should have modelled it in Rhyl. Isn’t that where the delightful Mrs Trellis hailed from?
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I was listening to the new incarnation of ISIHAC while flicking through my regular blog reads! My DH wants to know if you can get Samantha to model it for him. Lovely shrug, Kate. Off to go and look at the pattern.
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Lovely tribute to Humph. And glorious photos. :-)
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The shrug is great and the photos are lovely. And Harris of course is part of my childhood – wish I could hop on a plane now. My cousins live in Borve and Luskentyre.
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The shrug is lovely!
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The shrug is lovely – and as for the name – that is my kind of thinking – I call it sideways (I suppose you could say going off at a tangent, but I hated maths at school!)
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Well done, it is so beautiful… it is an inspiration to see your patterns evolve. Thanks-planning to make this one soon xx
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So excited-can’t wait to get started!
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Adorable! I love sweaters that flatter with dresses, and although I have exactly the opposite problem–long torso, short legs, grand total 5′ 6″–I will agree, shrugs often do the trick.
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Funny enough I just started knitting a (kind of) shrug myself, althought as not complex in construction (only a tube and sew on the sleeves, I hope, at least this my idea) and, well, more baby friendly as no counting stitches is necessary, just knit knit.
Oh! And location it really is hard to believe that is Scotland, more because of the clear sky than the clear water or the beauty of the place! ;)
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Hurrah for Humph. A fitting tribute, and to borrow from another great show, I wouldn’t call it a deviation at all.
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oh, this is so wonderful. so beautifully wonderful!
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This is beautiful – perfect for summer! The beach looks lovely as well.
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It was just as lovely in person–gorgeous work! :)
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Oh wow, this shrug has it all: sound construction, a visually interesting yet not overly busy stitch pattern, and an inscrutable name! I will say that what put me off a recent popular shrug pattern was the fact that it was knit up in a way that I couldn’t even slightly visualize. So–bravo to you and all the time you have in the summer for pattern writing!
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Lovely lovely lovely!
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A rare de-lurk to say hurrah for Harris and hurrah for shrugs. I am a bit of a shrug obsessive, so thank you, thank you for this post. I also love Harris and recognised that beach immediately. I was there in October – so not quite as hot and sunny, but still jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Will also grab pattern and cloud too – my ten-year-old daughter loves a hoody – they’ll be my projects for our holiday on Skye – which reminds me, I was very interested in your recent post regarding Shilasdair.
Also, does anyone really drop by and complain about too much knitting talk?!
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What a great design! I have some 4-ply soft that will work perfectly. I am off now to grab the pattern. Thank you for putting this together!
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I love this stitch pattern! I’ve always enjoyed the combination of cables with lace. Well-accomplished, Ms Davies.
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This is beautiful, and I love the name! Hm, I have a load of 4ply soft that isn’t doing anything…
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