averill

My design year got off to an unexpectedly early and exciting start this week when the Knitscene Spring 2012 preview was released with my first-ever garment design included in the issue! I lost track of time, thinking it would still be awhile until the Spring preview would be unveiled, but nope, it’s here – and what a wonderful surprise it was. Behold, the Averill Vest, in gorgeously colorful photos and all styled up on an awfully pretty model! (can you tell I’m just a teensy bit excited?!?):

(all of the photos are courtesy of, and copyright of, Knitscene)

Averill is a straightforward vest in five sizes with a square neckline, a split hem, and a lacy panel across the back shoulders. It’s knit in the round from the bottom up with a bit of waist shaping, and then worked flat for the front and back. The neck and the armholes are finished with a simple single-crochet edging because (1) I love simple, unfussy edgings like I love simple, unfussy design; and (2) I am, always have been, and probably always will be, an impatient person, so that by the time I get to the edging and finishing details, my inner voice is saying Finish already! Let’s go start something else because we’re easily distracted! I have a suspicion that many other knitters share my finishing impatience, so while I don’t condone doing finishing hurriedly or poorly, I do support using techniques that are simple, elegant, and easy. This crochet edging does the trick – try it sometime, you’ll like it, honest!

Because I am a Madelinetosh junkie, I knit this in my favorite yarn base, the dk-weight merino/silk/cashmere Pashmina blend. Knitscene chose the “Fjord” colorway for the sample, a great combo of green, teal, and browns that goes amazingly well with the model’s peacock feather dress. (Paging my sister: I am eyeing that dress, are you? Don’t even get me started on those gray suede booties.) Pashmina is a great three-season yarn that works well for Averill because you can wear it over a casual t-shirt, a slinky camisole, or a fancier dress thanks to its smooth and slightly shiny fabric. And it makes for equally great three-season knitting, as I well know, because I knit this at the end of summer and it was a lightweight project that was easy to carry around and cool to work on!

So that’s it! Another one of my Ye Olde Secret Knitting projects that has finally, happily made it to the light of day — I think that the Spring 2012 issue will hit newsstands on January 24th-ish (nice late birthday present to me!) It was a blast working with the folks from Knitscene (who are a branch/division of Interweave and a sister publication to <emInterweave Knits). I can’t recommend the magazine highly enough to all knitting enthusiasts for their fresh, modern design sensibility. I hope you all enjoy Averill as much as I do and hopefully this is just the start of more garment unveilings in the years to come. 🙂

PS: And be sure to check out the other great designs from this issue – it’s a little astonishing (and nerve-racking!) to be in such talented company. I particularly like the Seberg Sweater from Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, the Roxborough Dolman from Courtney Kelley, and the Hester Pullover from Amy Herzog.