Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Antique Lace with Shaped Armholes
Knitter and knitting teacher, Cindy Fite, has taken the Antique Lace pattern and given it even more allure with shaped armholes. And what's more, she has generously adapted the pattern and made her revisions available for others to use.
The original Antique Lace does not include armhole shaping, relying instead on the short row shaping at the shoulders to give the vest a good fit. The straight side seams are sewn to the beginning of the armhole and the remaining opening forms a slightly capped sleeve.
Cindy's shaped armholes, on the other hand, create a closer, more shapely fit.
Re-writing the pattern to incorporate the necessary decreases along both sides is no mean feat. It requires making adjustments to the lace stitch pattern, always a major headache for both pattern-writer and knitter alike. But Cindy is up to it and she has done a marvellous job.
In her detailed post on her website, I Love to Knit , she has mapped out all the steps. Her instructions are presented as though she were giving a class, explaining everything with a logic that others can follow. Her background is teaching and you can see it in the thoroughness of her approach.
I also love seeing her lovely rendition of Antique Lace in such a vibrant colour. It is particularly effective over a white blouse where you can see her precise and beautiful stitch work.
As a designer, I am always thrilled when others take my patterns and make them their own, whether it is in the choice of yarn, adjustments to the pattern itself, or in using the pattern as a template for their own imaginative play.
Thanks, Cindy, for sharing your technical expertise with us.
