Finished: the Brunch cardi.

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease (50% cotton/ 50% acrylic; worsted weight).
Pattern: A hodgepodge of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Seamless Set-in Sleeve Sweater and her Seamless Saddle Shoulder Sweater. Sleeves were worked in the round to the underarms, body in one piece to the underarms, then joined together. I worked simultaneous set-in sleeves to begin with, then at the shoulders decided to work a saddle. I love the way it turned out, even though me changing my mind at the last minute meant the yoke was definitely too long (see the crazy-long sleeves?). The method for making the saddle shoulder is such a piece of cake, so simple and elegant that it’s my new method of choice. I’ve started another–in green–and it will be a saddle shoulder, although not as interesting without a fancy stitch pattern on the sleeves to carry across.
Verdict: This is the most wearable garment I’ve made for myself to date. The torso length is perfect, I love the neckline, I learnt to put in a zip (which I will be doing again), the cable texture pleases me no end, and apart from the too-long yoke and sleeves (as mentioned above, entirely my fault) the fit suits me perfectly. It’s really comfy and I couldn’t be happier!

Packing up shop.

I have learnt so much about physics, maths, space, design, and the human figure since challenging myself to create knitting patterns for others to use. The fun, however, has always been in the making, the creative side rather than the grading and testing and publishing and marketing (none of which I enjoy). I endured the pattern-writing unpleasantness as a necessary duty, but lately it’s become clear to me that my enjoyment of the process ends with the knitting–and this should tell me that I’m not suited to pattern-writing. Seems obvious once I put it into words, but that’s the way the brain works sometimes: I was in denial.

I have decided to pack up the Herbivore Knits shop. While I decide what to do about the existing patterns and this blog, I will still be making and sharing things I find interesting.
I hope you can join me.