Update: My project won a First ribbon in the Hand Knit division of the 2017 Albuquerque Fiber Fiesta Exhibition, woohoo!

05/12/16 And done! I used black Cascade 220 for sewing up (can’t seam with Noro, ugh), and deepened the armholes to 10”. Loved knitting this precisely written pattern, and love the FO! It fits perfectly, which is amazing considering my yarn substitution.

05/08/16 Finished knitting, now blocking, then sewing up. Ended with 85g yarn left, just over 1-1/2 balls, so I estimate I used about 935 yds.

Blocked length inside edge measuring from back of neck to front hem is 37”; outside edge measuring from back corner to front corner is 51”.

05/04/16 Completed and joined right and left panels. Unstretched and unblocked panel length, measured on inside edge = 28”. Preparing to pick up front/collar band. Have 3 full skeins + 1 almost full skein of yarn left.

4/10/16: I have never swatched so diligently as I have for this project! And the very specific gauge swatching instructions in this pattern were very helpful.

The Silk Garden is rated as “Aran”, but the thick and thin variability is mostly thin, so using US 7 I was bang on gauge after soaking, blocking and drying the swatch. Of course my fabric will be a bit heavier than pattern, but it’s still airy with a nice drape.

Less than 1/4” growth after blocking, but I’m guessing that given the silk component and the weight/length of the finished project there will be some more growth, so I’m knitting down one size.

I’m alternating skeins of the Silk Garden for narrow stripes of color. When I swatched knitting from only one skein, the wide bands of color obscured the lace pattern.

At first this made me a little sad because I love those long gradations, but then I realized I could knit the front & collar bands with single skeins and get the long colors that way.