Spring is “springing” in the garden and I’ve just finished two thick, dark wintery jumpers.

I guess I’ll be needing a new exciting knit that is  something summery then?

I have been fawning over the new Rowan Magazine, number 47

From Halcyon

and trying to decide between my 3 favourites in the book.

There’s Harmony…

From Halcyon

Which is lovely and  knit in Organic Cotton 4ply – I really like this but thought it would be a bit too much like my  golden Iris.

From Iris

So Harmony is rejected.

Then there was Sedate

From Halcyon

Knit in Milk Cotton and a whopping great 10 balls of my favourite, Kid Silk Haze. It would be a good stash buster project for me but again, it’s a lacy cardigan, but I was sorely tempted…

***EDIT***

Thanks Helen, for commenting and alerting me – the yarn amounts in the Rowan Mag are wrong for Sedate. Rowan have published an errata here –  Sedate Errata.

Correct amounts are FMC: 5, 5, 5, 6, 6 KSH: 4, 4, 4, 5, 5.

Only 4 balls of KSH stash busting!!

Then I saw Halcyon on a display model in Liberty…

From Halcyon

I was with a friend of mine, a Rowan rep, who immediately said,

“Halcyon- that’s a pig to knit! Lace on every row, no let up with nice easy purl rows!!”

How could I pass up a challenge like that?  😀

For once, Rowan has some really good photos of the garment in their magazine – they really show the detail in the garment – I winge enough about bad photos so praise where it’s due…

From Halcyon

From Halcyon

Halcyon is knit in Fine Milk Cotton – called “Milk” cotton because it’s made with 30% milk protein. I dread to think how a glass of milk is transformed into yarn but the end result is a wonderful soft silken yarn. It is rather splitty is you’re not careful but I can cope with that.

So is that lace a “pig”?

Actually – it’s not so bad once you get the pattern going…

…but this is the chart…

From Halcyon

Too small for human eyes!! 😯

Even with my new upgraded glasses this was a struggle to see.

But again, Rowan have redeemed themselves – a PDF of the chart, in a size suitable for harassed knitters, trying to balance the pattern on their knee while not dropping lace stitches, is available here–> Halcyon Chart.

So what colour am I doing? How far have I got?

I didn’t like the beige – only because it looks insipid on me. So I chose Pastille, shade 494 – a very classy silver grey with a hint of blue. I thought it would look good formally for work as well as with jeans…but I’m getting ahead of myself – I have to knit it first!

The pattern starts at the waist and works downwards, knitting the peplum. Later you pick up stitches and work upwards. I know I should have started with a provisional cast on but I was so in a hurry to cast on but I  just didn’t 🙁 Bad Susan!

First you do acres of very boring rib – I would have liked to have saved that for later when I needed a break from the lace but the life of a knitter is hard!

So here’s the back peplum all knit..

From Halcyon

The lace pattern is basically, two blocks of pattern – the open lattice work and the petal pattern. After 12 rows, the pattern offsets so these two blocks form a chequerboard effect. You can see that more clearly in the Rowan pics above.

For the peplum though, you carry on with the second pattern repeat but start increasing in between the the petals. This gives the fullness over the hips and the lovely drape.

It sounds fiddly but it’s explained well and, with a few stitch markers – I was well away.

Here’s the front peplum, mid increase with the stitch markers…

From Halcyon

You can see I’m using my precious Signature knitting needles for Halcyon – those stilletto points are essential for the lace and a splitty yarn.

I hadn’t realised just how much difference thy made until I was nearing the end of the peplum.

With all the increases, I had gone up to over 300 stitches crammed on my 12″ needle. I didn’t have a suitable circular hand for the last few rows so I pulled out some long ancient Aero needles – so old they were marked in the old English sizings as “No.12”.

Boy, were they blunt! I’ve checked, this is the only point in Halcyon I’ll have this many stitches so no excuse for  extra long Signature needle shopping for me 🙁

Not this week..Maybe not…No, I couldn’t…