Miss Bennet, it is the end!

What to tell if not just that finally I've finished Miss Bennet! I loved it and I started it some months ago, but I had to stop in the summer as it was too hot to work with wool. I could not wait to see it finished and now that the end finally came I'm soooooooooooo proud of my lilac sweater!

First I casted on 220 stitches, but it was too much, so I started again with 180 stitches and it seems better.I divided them in 31-28-62-28-31. When at the wrap and turn point I made it on 8 stitches base instead than 10 stitches. On marker C I increased 6 times instead of 5.

Then I went of 'till I tried it on and I thought it was the right size for me (I have not taken note of how many rows or increases I did, but surely more than the ones of the original pattern as I'm not a teenager like the beautiful girl in the photos!).

When arrived to the bust I made more decreases 'till I arrived at my waist, always trying the sweater on.

Then started to increase. when  I was near the finishing length I decided not to do the 28 seed stitch rows, but to stop the seed stitch at 14. Then I made a bigger garter stitch part, increasing the needle from 2,50mm to 3,00mm and at the end to 3,50mm so to have a loose bind off. It worked nicely!

Almost forgetting to say that when alternating seed stitch rows and stockinette stitches rows I made them 14 and 14, same number, even if the pattern suggested a 15 and 14 division.

The queen of twinset

Yes, she was the Princess of Monaco and the muse of Hitchcock movies, but for me Grace Kelly is and always will be the queen of cashmere twin set.

Many actress and famous people used twinsets in the fifties, but she used it as her peculiarity ...

Someone told me that Grace Kelly elegant style was based on the rule of 5:

- a string of pearls,
- a shred of make up;
- a breath of perfume;
- a 2 ply cashmere twin set                                Lovely!


 In the fifties the twinset was everywhere in light bright colours:

 But what if you want to knit it now for yourself? You can go for original:







The indispensable basic twin set

or you can go for new interpretations:

 Banana crew by J Strizzy

woolen cashmere twinset cardigan by Veronik Avery

Heirloom by Martin Storey

Sabrina by Louisa Harding

Morning Sky by Drops Design

Ella summer top - Debbie Bliss

I loved this patter... as soon as I sow it I wanted to do it! I think that this shape of arms flatters me and I really wanted one!

I made little changes to the pattern to make it fit better my body and to reach the effect that is more flattering for me.
I worked it with circular needles form the bottom up.
I casted on 188 stitches and made the bust 35 cm long. I did not want it to stay too fitted, on the contrary I wanted some comfort. It is for summer and I want air to pass!
Starting the armholes I bind off just 3 stitches and not 5, as I read on other people that already had done it that the armholes where too open.
I decided to make the neck much little than the pattern…
I casted on just 8 stitches each side instead of 16.
In the front and back I arrived there with the space between the two cable patterns that counted 24 stockinette stitches, too many for my neck!
Then I made last row with 1 stockinette stitch and 1 knit two together for 8 times and so I reduced to 16 stockinette stitches in the middle. It fitted perfectly!
 For the neck I opened a little the cable pattern to make it simple but even to make it more evident, so I decided to make a purl2 4cable pattern and purl 2 and then start the k2 p2 pattern straight and I liked the effect!

One little comment on the yarn... the final effect was fantastic, bu the yarn needed much more strength than wool or other cottons... it was difficult and I had to stop after a few rows. I like the fact that is cotton and silk. And the kind of yarn is perfect for geometric patterns with a simple shape.