Matchmaking

At five minutes before nine tonight, you could hear a stampede of husbands and kids running out of living rooms throughout my building and indeed, as far as the 'heights: another episode of Jane Austen Masterpiece Theater is on TV.

Although Catherine Moreland is my home girl, Emma is fierce enough to make me a little less lonely for Christian, and this episode has something the other ones lacked: first class millinery and knitted garments. Querulous (and queenly) Mr. Woodhouse is wearing a garter stitch sontag in many of the scenes, and it looks like it was made from some nice sheep native to Surrey. Emma wears one great hat after another, and the day bonnets look like felted knit if you get real close up to the TV set.

Like Emma, I'm hopeless with matchmaking people, but I made a pretty good match knitting recently by combining Dale of Norway Baby Ull and Rowan Silk Haze in a sweater for Lou's birthday. The Baby Ull took on a little more heft from the Silk Haze, and the itchiness of the Silk Haze was tempered by the softness of the Baby Ull. Say, doesn't that sound like every couple you know?

Check out the fuzzy bloom, and the unexpected iridescence:


And like Emma, I am pretty pleased with myself about my matchmaking efforts. This was one of those made up as you go along projects, using the wonderful Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, a heart motif from Vogue Knitting and the lace pattern from Simply Lovely Lace Socks.

Here's another look. The trim is just another color of the Silk Haze. Since this is a fancy sweater, I decided on no buttons or fastenings of any kind, but I did reinforce the front with some pretty grosgrain ribbon.


Despite it's apparent complexity, this was a pretty fast knit, and here are the instructions for your very own. I will also have a picture of it on the recipient next week.