the blue blog archives: mya

Here she is, finally. Mya. I went with the little i-cords and love them! I really like that I could pick up stitches to start the i-cord, so it would be securely attached to the garment. So much better than a button, if you ask me.

Laura asked me to compare the two baby kimono-style sweaters I've knit for anyone out there considering the two designs. The first was the koko kimono pattern from Minnies. The Minnies' kimono is more of an asymmetrical cardigan. It's a simple design, written for a relatively large gauge (US6s) - a real quickknit, just like the book subtitle says. The sleeves are knit down from the armholes, which also saves on some seaming. The Minnies pattern would be well-suited for a beginner, for someone who's looking for minimal finishing work, and anyone who just wants to make a simple sweet sweater for a new baby.

The Rowan Junior Mya pattern is a wrap style cardigan, with each front panel going all the way across the front. That gives it a more feminine look (the koko kimono is pretty unisex) and also means a lot more knitting! Mya is also written for a smaller gauge (US3s) and a finer yarn. The body is knit in one very wide piece to the armholes, while the sleeves are knit separately and sewn in. There is a lot more detailing in the Rowan pattern with its striped border (I changed it to a solid yellow) and long moss stitch edging picked up and knit around the neck. So the Rowan pattern is definitely more work, but it produces a much finer garment. Perhaps it's a better choice for the patient intermediate knitter who wants to make a very special sweater.

They're both great designs though - good, clear patterns which make beautiful baby sweaters. Go knit kimonos!

posted by alison at 12:25 am | in baby (sweater) factory

Comments

Gorgeous work, Alison. I am truly enamored with that gold border and the i-cord tie is a nice touch. Lucky recipient!

Posted by: Becky at February 12, 2004 2:05 AM

That looks gorgeous, the i cord finished it off perfectly. I love the way it all came together in the end. Thanks for comparing the 2 patterns for us as well.

Posted by: kerrie at February 12, 2004 4:13 AM

What a beautiful color combination! Hmmm... I wonder how hard that would be to upsize it to adult size??

Posted by: Cindy at February 12, 2004 7:04 AM

It's beautiful! What a lovely job you did!

Posted by: Wendy at February 12, 2004 8:17 AM

You changed a striped pattern to solid! Who are you? What happened to stripey goddess Alison?

Mya looks great. I'm glad the i-cords worked so well.

Posted by: Johanna at February 12, 2004 8:54 AM

Alison, what a great elucidation of what it means for one pattern to be easier or more advanced than another. It totally jibes with my experience of learning more skills over time and how I see other people learn over time as well. Neat!

Posted by: Becky S. at February 12, 2004 10:06 AM

I love how well the i-cord worked, I will definiately use it when I make this sweater. I received the book over the weekend. So many beautiful sweaters, particularly for my boys.

Posted by: Nancy Mathews at February 12, 2004 10:21 AM

Too cute! What a lucky little child to receive such a chic little garment. Love the i-cord closure, too. Nice touch :-)

Posted by: Amy at February 12, 2004 10:50 AM

alison, that's just gorgeous. lucky baby!

Posted by: Amy at February 12, 2004 11:55 AM

Mya turned out wonderful! I'm sure both Mommy and baby will be excited to have it.

Posted by: Christina at February 12, 2004 1:08 PM

That is just really lovely! I love kimonos for babies. Love your colors!

Posted by: Mary Beth at February 12, 2004 1:49 PM

That is darling! I may hav eto make that for a friend.

Posted by: melissa at February 12, 2004 3:23 PM

Lovely! I wonder if the design would work for an adult size sweater.

Posted by: Loose Ends Melissa at February 12, 2004 4:57 PM

The i-cord is a great touch to an already lovely sweater. The colours are great together and the moss stitch borders are a great accent. It may have taken a long time, but it was surely worth the effort.

Posted by: Laurin at February 12, 2004 11:15 PM

Brava! I love the color combo. So much more feminine and sophisticated than pinkpinkpink. So are we glad we have boys, or is someone wishing she had a daughter to dress? (Answer: no you don't. You have enough experience to know you'll have nothing to do with it...)

Posted by: gwyn at February 13, 2004 12:57 AM

First and foremost, Alison thanks for the comments my question about contrasting the sweaters. That is EXACTLY what I needed to know in order to decide which to do. Of course, I love this Mya that you just finished; so, it probably will win.

I too think this would be a great sweater for me. It seems that some smart person could take this baby pattern and this pattern from knitty.com (http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/PATTkyoto.html) and figure out how to make this for us. Please let us all know when you do.

Laura

Posted by: Laura at February 13, 2004 11:11 AM

Thanks, everyone! I really am pleased with how this little sweater came out. I was unsure about it in the beginning, but with each little finishing touch, I liked the sweater more and more.

An adult version would be very cool. The original pattern doesn't have too much shaping, just the sloping neck opening, so it should be resizable. Great idea, Laura, to adapt the Kyoto pattern. I'd love to see someone do it!

Posted by: alison at February 13, 2004 11:33 AM