With shades of green varying from pastel to mossy and deep forest greens, and because of the wideness of the ribbon strands, I really felt like I was knitting with kelp and that this should be a Seaweed top.
Pattern Waterlily top, Katy Ryan.
Source Interweave Knits Spring 2006.
Yarn Colinette Giotto, #113 Velvet leaf; 2.5 skeins.
Needles US10.5, US11, US13.
Start-to-end 2 Aug 2007 - 17 Aug 2007.
Modifications Before beginning the bodice shaping, I added 2 purl rows, separated by 3 knit rows, to give the top an empire-waistline. I also took out 4 rows in the bodice because I didn't want to add extra length to the garment.
I was really surprised with how much I actually liked knitting with the Colinette Giotto yarn. The stitches are very pretty when knit with the US10.5 needles, which are the needles recommended for the yarn. However, I didn't like how loose the stitches were when knit with the larger needles. If I'd known that I would have more than half the skein left, I might have just knit it entirely in the two smaller needle sizes.
I like how the bottom edge looks. Because I started this after I had boarded my flight for Vegas, I actually began with a different cast-on, a lace cast-on instead of the invisible provisional cast-on it asks. But, because of the looseness of the stitches, the lace cast-on made the edge look messy. So, as we began our descent into Vegas, I unraveled the few rows I had knit by then, and started again, this time with the provisional cast-on (as directed). To finish the garment, these stitches are bound-off for a clean and stretchy hem.
The pattern, overall, was very simple and I'm really glad I didn't make too many changes. I like how it uses eyelets, increases and decreases to shape the bodice in a bias on the front. The fabric is very cool and drapey. Perfect for summer!
Now, what can I do with half a skein of kelp?
