Warm and Wooly

I fell in love with a wonderfully lumpy, woven wool at Mood Fabrics last spring while visiting
in NYC.  Having no idea what it might become, I got my standard 'spec' amount for fabric in the "how-much-a-yard!!!!??" category, which is 1 1/2 yards.  It got tucked away for the summer and when it reappeared in the queue this fall it had decided to become a tunic.  

I draped it every which way, but couldn't figure out how to get a tunic with long sleeves out of my precious 1 1/2 yards.  Rats! (not to be confused with the mousey of my last post!)

I flirted with the idea of a vest-tunic...didn't really wow me...finally decided I could knit some sleeves.  I loved this idea because it would involve a trip to the yarn shop! (which is right next door to the fabric shop, dang!)

Tunic awaiting sleeves

The drop shoulder styling of the top meant that the sleeve pattern shape was pretty simple.  Once I had figured out my knitting gauge I charted the sleeves based on the pattern piece.  I stabilized the edge of the armscye with tricot interfacing and used the yarn to stitch the sleeves onto the tunic.  I back stitched through each knitted stitch so it looks like the stitches were picked up through the edge of the fabric.

  

Picking up "live" stitches - 'public side'     Overcasting the seam - inside                    

Once the sleeves were finished I had enough yarn for a collar, too.  At some point I realized that this wooly tunic with wool roving sleeves might be a bit warm...duh!  So I made it a half zip to let in some air.

Trying out the zipper idea

 
Finished Tunic with knitted sleeves and collar

I really like the way it turned out.  It's perfect for February in Michigan.  I was afraid that the bulky fabric and the fuzzy yarn would end up being a bit wooly mammoth like but the bias cut front panel and the loose gauge on the knitted pieces made the finished garment supple and cozy.  The zipper does its job to cool things off and it looks great with fuzzy leggings and boots.