Linen Stitching

For some time, I've been wanting to remake one of my favorite summer shirts in a hand knit version.  Now that I'm home with the kids full time I have been able to find extra time for knitting (or sometimes just thinking about knitting- that's an accomplishment, too!).

This picture is from a few years ago, but it's the best I could find that would give you an idea of the shirt.  It's a lightweight knit fabric with clean, simple lines.  It fits perfectly and I feel beyond comfortable in it.  I actually have the shirt in both white and black and both get a fair amount of wear, especially in the warmer months.  

Enter Shannon Cook's (aka 'Very Shannon') TTTKAL.   Many of you are probably familiar.  For those who are not, it stands for "Tops, Tanks, & Tees Knit Along"  and it was the perfect excuse to finally see my project through to fruition.

Since the store bought version fits perfectly, I started with careful measurements and multiple swatches.  I decided to knit the shirt in Quince&Co. "Sparrow".  The yarn is a fingering weight linen, and is quite a difference when compared to my normal 100% wool.  

There's a totally different feel when working with linen yarn, it kind of gives my fingers this funny tingling feeling.  Like, you know your feet get that weird prickly sensation when you're standing at the edge of super high building (what... am I the only one?!?)?  It's sort of like that in my hands.  I'm learning to appreciate it for what it is. 

Something else I've learned.  Linen looks messy as you knit.  It makes you question your existence as a knitter and wonder if the bloom and halo of wool is just a crutch to hide your stitch flaws ("a little caulk, a little paint, make a builder what he ain't"... I feel like we need one of these for knitting).

But then you wash your knitting (yes wash, not just block- I'm talking full on washer and dryer!)...

and you're left with uniform stitches with a bit of slub and a drape that is out of this world.

Tomorrow I have a giveaway kicking off- stay tuned for your chance to win a summer knitting kit!