Staff Project: Dors Lace Top in Rowan Alpaca Sparkle

Black Sheep Lucy is on a roll at the moment. She finishes one beautiful garment (see PetiteKnit Poppy Tee) and picks up the needles to knit another. Sometimes you are simply in the knitting groove and Lucy certainly is!
 Lucy always takes a considered approach to her projects. Checking whether it is a style she wants in her wardrobe and colour, how she will wear it with her other clothes. These are the things she thinks of before casting on. Do you just jump in or do think before you knit? Here is what Lucy had to say about her latest glitzy make.

Name: Lucy
Pattern: Rowan Dors Tank digital pattern or Rowan Alpaca Sparkle pattern book
Yarn: Rowan Alpaca Sparkle
Shade: 10024 Silver
What size did you make? 2nd size 32" - 38"

Choosing the project: One of the perks of working at Black Sheep is that we get to see new yarns and patterns quite some time before they launch. Suppliers work so far in advance that sometimes we see new ranges many months before their ‘season’ comes round. That happened with this piece, I’ve been eyeing it up for quite a while.
The process of deciding on a new yarn, shade and pattern can be a really lengthy one, especially in our office. Candidates get mulled over and discussed at length. Not with this combination though. Rowan Alpaca Sparkle and the Dors tank just jumped out at me as soon as I saw them. Although I don’t normally wear grey, or knit lace, it was irresistible.
I did have a favourite oversized short-sleeved silver jumper years ago that I managed to shrink and have missed ever since. It was a shop-bought, machine made piece, but still a hard one to replicate.

Sizing: When I started planning this project I paid close attention to the sizing on the pattern. This is quite an oversized piece and although I’m not a tiny person, I could see that at 65cm wide, the second size, matched the size of another favourite tank of mine, making me confident that this will work for me. 

How did you find the pattern? Did you make any adjustments? 
I was nervous about making lace, it really has been quite some time and I hadn’t enjoyed my last project. I made my tension square, and it seemed quite straight forward so I cracked on. I cast on and followed the chart confidently, and it didn’t work very well, I kept losing track of where I was meant to be. So I frogged it back and the second time round I put a loop of yarn as a stitch marker at each repeat of the pattern. I should have done it the first time, but I’m sure I won’t learn from this, I never do. After that it was plain sailing.
The neck and sleeve edges are folded. The pattern suggested folding this in place but I used a technique I’ve had success with before for PetiteKnit patterns. This involves picking up every other stitch from the cast on row as you cast off. It looks great and is stretchy enough too.
The only other slight tweak I made was in sewing up with a smooth dk wool yarn in a matching(ish) shade. Because Alpaca Sparkle has a sequin threaded into it, it’s tricky to sew with!

Any new techniques used?
Reacquainting myself with lace, and learning to do it sensibly. I used the chart rather than the written instructions for the lace pattern, this is just a personal preference as both are available.
I’ve done a folded neck before but not a folded sleeve edge. It’s simple and very pretty, giving the garment a nice piece of extra structure.

Have you used this yarn before? How did you find it?
No, it’s a brand new yarn and I love it. It’s so pretty with a little sparkle and a fabulous haze and the silver shade is perfect too. I think this yarn will be the big hit of this season, it’s great for making thoughtful pressies and for Christmassy accessories. I fancy something in the shade ‘Almond’ next.

Would you recommend the pattern to someone else?
Yes, it has made up really quickly, was fun to make, and is going to be worn a lot!

Describe the fit of your finished garment: It’s an oversized piece, just slouchy enough with a lovely dropped shoulder.

How do you plan to wear your new garment? How will you style it? I’d like to wear this dressed up, it would look lovely with a jewel toned long dress and boots. But, it would also look good, slightly tucked into wide jeans or casual trousers and a shirt or long sleeve t-shirt. Nice over a thin strapped vest too in warmer weather. I can’t wait to have a play and come up with some ideas.

What do you plan to make next?
I think it’s time for some crochet - it’s been a while. I’m eyeing the Crafter Hood Crochet Hoodie by Iron Lamb. Although the Marble Sweater from PetiteKnit is floating about in my brain too; both would be great stash-busting projects.