Flashy Back to School Vest!

Vests rock!

This one, I think, has a bit of pizzazz - thanks in large part to the semi-sparkly yarn! I'm not sure how well the pics point it out, but there are little sparkly bits in the yarn.

Specs:
- pattern: modified from the Back to School Vest, Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel
- size: 35 1/2" (second size in the pattern)
- yarn = Colinette Lasso, 100% polyamide 2 skeins (100g each) in Forest colourway
- needle size = 4.5mm and 3.75mm
- started: 29 September
- finished: 1 October
- made for: my mother

Thanks to Natalie, who sent me this yarn in a swap!


Notes:
- I didn't think the waffle stitch in the pattern would be too noticeable with the variegated yarn, so I did stockinette stitch instead above the ribbed waistline. I like the result together with the fancy yarn.
- WARNING: if you buy this yarn, buy a yarn winder and/or swift to go with it. It took me quite some time to wind this by hand as it tangles easily and sticks to itself!

Now for some more pics:

Waist Detail


Neckline Detail:


Best thing is that I have enough left for a small tank or T for ME. Because that's who it's all about, isn't it?

Well, maybe not. I'm proving to have an altruistic streak after all (sort of). I offered to make JJ a vest for the big trip to the UK this December. He could have had the fancy tweed vest from No Sheep for You but due to his classic (read: pedestrian) tastes, has chosen this one instead:



(the white one in the bottom left corner. What is it about 80s patterns, anyway, that compelled everyone to put in 4" of ribbing knitted 2 sizes smaller than the rest of the sweater! Is this supposed to be some kind of slimming feature? Sheesh! JJ has been advised that the ribbing and trim will not have this time-dishonoured shrunken look.)

Don't you love the half-eaten Jersey Milk bar in the right corner of the picture? The pattern should come with a warning: "Do not eat chocolate while knitting with white Paton's Astra!"

But I digress, surprisingly enough - I'm usually so pithy! ;-)

After long deliberation over the appropriate material, I decided that Knitpicks CotLin was in order - price is right, and it is the desired fineness and softness for HRH JJ. So, in my typical altruistic spirit I checked out Knitpicks and allowed JJ to pick out his colour. He wanted two colours, so I even offered to knit him a matched set - eventually. But not before I knit something with the lime green I managed to order for myself, of course - together with two books, A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen and The Natural Knitter by Barbara Albright. As I told JJ, with the Canadian dollar as high as it is, it's almost like Knitpicks are giving him money! (His response was "Don't push it". Sometimes I do know when to shut up).

Here are the colours:

CotLin

13 skeins Nightfall
13 Skeins Linen
10 skeins Key Lime (for - guess who!)

All in all, a good start to the week.