What do you see in this cardigan?
Rorschach Jacket is ready for the spotlight. She’s painted New York City red (seriously… she did the East Side bars with a cowboy showing his concealed handgun permit to bouncers… but that’s for another post) and now she’s ripe for her debut on the internets:
Click for bigger, as always. This is, as far as Google and I can tell, the very first Elizabeth Zimmermann Rorschach Jacket to model live on the web. I hope it won’t be the last, because this excellent pattern deserves a renaissance. Specs:
Rorschach Jacket from Knitting Workshop
Unspun Icelandic wool, two strands held double, most of four 300 yd-wheels cream and most of one blacksheep
US #8 needles, 4 stitches per inch
I cast on the number of stitches given for the 40″ size, but stopped when I reached the body width for the 36″ size. In other words, I have a long torso and a medium bust and I wanted a slimmer, less boxy fit. After weighing the many opinions you offered about buttons, I went with the smaller, square-within-a-circle choice. And I’m happy with the effect. I did make some slight modifications to the sleeves, working them over 80 stitches (decreased over 10 ridges to 70 for a small gusset) instead of the suggested 1/3 of the total for a blousey look. Then I nipped them back to 38 stitches for a snug cuff. I can’t tell whether EZ’s version had full length sleeves, but I made mine 3/4 length. I also sewed the two halves together inside-out, intentionally creating a raised seam to emphasize the construction. It’s a pleasing detail, I think.
I didn’t get any pictures of Rorschach in NYC, as we killed our camera card on our friends’ wedding ceremony and forgot to bring the device to dump the photos onto the laptop. But this afternoon the sun came out, and after I guzzled a mint Dewlep (no bourbon in the house, but some leftover Dewar’s from my grandmother’s memorial party did the trick handily) while cheering Street Sense to his Derby win, I gussied up and made Mr. Garter take pictures of me with my bicicletta. It’s fun to play that you’re in an Anthropologie catalogue. There are some little girls down the street who like to dress up and play Fairy Princesses… this is my interpretation. And Portland is a great location for a photo shoot right now: spring is at full throttle.
Next time I’ll have a report and a few pictures from my New York sojourn. Teaser: Of all the wedding dresses I’ve ever seen, I coveted this one the most.
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
It’s such an adorable jacket, I definitely could think of wearing one too! Thanks for the details about how you’ve interpeted and adjusted your version of Rorschach Jacket. Now I’ll head over to my e-book shop and see the availability of the book ‘Knitting Workshop’
Have a great Sunday!
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
This is the first Rorschach I’ve seen finished — I love it!
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Oh Miss Lady, you do look delightful in your new sweater!
Kudos on covering such un-charted territory, and you did it so stylishly! I’m totally impressed, very enthused about this pattern. Thanks for sharing details of the modifications you made - I’m another long-torso’ed, medium busted one, and hadn’t thought of doing such a thing to a pattern (lack of experience…)
Bravo!
By the way, you MUST share the cowboy-handgun story - it sounds quite amusing…
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
You look fantastic! Very very nice knitting!
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
You look so fabulously mod with that jacket and your haircut… well done, chica!
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Wow!! Love it!
I think I’ll add the Rorschach to my knitting list
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Very chic!
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
It’s a beauty! Gorgeous! I’m sure this will have started a Rorschach frenzy!
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Looks FABULOUS!!!! I’ve had my eye on this sweater forever. With your added notes, it’s onward….thanx! Rorschach is next on the needles…the trend has begun. lol
Posted: May 5th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Looks fabulous on you, congratulations
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 5:12 am
i totally heart that sweater! excellent job!
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 5:40 am
my gosh, you are adorable!
lurve the jacket.
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 7:36 am
The sweater is just lovely and oh so feminine! Well done!
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 7:37 am
Wow.
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Love the Rorcharch! I’m so glad I got to see it up close and in person. You did a lovely job on it. It was great to have you back in the city, albeit all too briefly!!
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 9:47 am
It looks wonderful on you, great job.
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Stunning!
Posted: May 6th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
It came out so beautifully! Really lovely work!
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 6:30 am
That’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen all day! I’m curious…how does the unspun Icelandic feel next to your skin?
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 7:14 am
Fantastic!!!!! I love the construction and the fit - I love seeing knits that are “rare” out and on the web!
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 11:36 am
It is a delightful as I hoped it would be from your last post. Now please tell us: how does the icelandic wool feels on the skin? It is vera beautiful.
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Those photos are just divine ~ but the sweater was even BETTER in person! I’m so glad I got to see you and your fabulous buttons while you visited. And I don’t think I got the full handgun permit story? More please! Miss you!
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
This is beautiful! Well done! I like how the slightly poufy sleeves gives a nice contrast to the other linear details in the sweater. Really gorgeous!
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Hey girl, you look HOTT! Two t’s because its extra spicy. I love the sweater, and the button tabs and the whole shebang! I can’t wait to see you in 1 month and 2 days!!!!!!!
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
The jacket turned out so well! It fits you perfectly. Congratulations!
Posted: May 7th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Rock the Rorschach. It looks great.
Posted: May 8th, 2007 at 4:55 am
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! i love when something old-fashioned can be made hip and modern. stunning photos.
Posted: May 8th, 2007 at 6:45 am
Beautiful job, it has such a great mod look!
Posted: May 8th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I love the Rorschach! ANd you sport it so well! I’m hoping to make one in the fall–I’m giving myself the summer to recover from a Bog Jacket disaster. How did you like working with the icelandic wool? Was it as dreamy as we’ve heard tell or was it a pain?
Posted: May 8th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Again with the Hepburn-like knowing smile and allure! It’s wonderful.
Posted: May 9th, 2007 at 7:20 am
I love the accessories! You remind me of Audrey Hepburn or someone tres elegant and chic
Posted: May 9th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Fab!
Posted: May 9th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Yey for bringing back patterns - aboslutely lovely jacket.
Posted: May 10th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
That has to be the most mod thing I’ve ever seen hand knit. High-five!
Posted: May 11th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Yes, the first thing I thought of when I saw your photos was Audrey Hepburn. The sweater looks wonderful on you and I love the accessories you added for the photos!
Posted: May 11th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
That is so lovely! It looks really stylish and modern. Brava on wearing it so well and keeping the classic alive.
P.S. Your hairdo is so adorable!
Posted: May 11th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
E.Z.’s Rorschach…
If you haven’t seen it yet, you must. Please take a look at Blue Garter’s Rorschach cardigan. A classic E.Z. design that is being worn with a stylish and modern flair. Lovely!……
Posted: May 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I love the Rorschach SO much ,,,that I ordered the Spun Out from School House Press in order to make one for myself.
I read it over.. and am still somewhat confused, I was wondering this~
As you knit ,,,,and knew which points and sides you were knitting, did it seem to make any more sense?
I am looking at the Spun Out and am really having a bit of a hard time envisioning this ,, and I am an intermediate knitter ( have done sweaters before)
I hope that it makes more sense as you knit along!
Thanks for any help you may be able to give~
Oh,,,,,
I plan to knit mine in the opposite colors you did yours in ,,but am thinking that one over very well,,,as it may be difficult to do the weaving in black vs white
Thanks!
Great job , very inspiring !
Posted: May 13th, 2007 at 6:41 am
Dear Sarah,
How handsome you look in your lovely new garment; congratulations.
When asking about buttons, you mentioned the L- R- side question re buttonholes.
Several years ago I learned an unforgettable tip for this query (if one cares about such things, that is):
‘Women are always Right’.
Knit on,
Meg
Posted: May 13th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Great job modernizing the shaping. It looks terrific.
Posted: May 13th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Holy crap, I commented after MEG SWANSEN.
Posted: May 16th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Sarah, that’s a fabulously stylish cardigan and you rock it like nobody’s business! I adore the sleeve shape. Great work, as usual!
Posted: May 23rd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
That jacket turned out wonderfully well, and looks fantastic on you too. A perfect make!
Posted: June 15th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
[...] I also read her KNITTING WORKSHOP, which has an excellent tip for Long-tail Casting-on - you don’t need the slip knot at the beginning; you just lay the yarn over the top of the right hand needle! Why didn’t I think of that? It has the recipes for the Babies’ Surprise Jacket and the Rorschach Sweater, which I’ve only ever seen here, and it is lovely. [...]
Posted: July 1st, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Gorgeous, both of you! I must knit this, too
You know, you bear a certain resemblance to Audrey Hepburn?