Allow me to introduce Zola

When you say “Zola!”, you have to say it (boldly) like you’re clapping your hands over your head.

Think Flamenco dancer. Not that the design resembles Flamenco dancer attire. It’s just what I think of when I hear the name Zola. Much the same way as when I hear the name Stella, I have to say it like it was said in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Random, that’s the trail of breadcrumbs to how I got there.

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/IjU-XGQHUJI&source=uds

And I digress…

The pattern is (as I have already established) called, Zola by Stolen Stitches. I knit it with Ellyn Cooper Yarn Sonnets, Normandy Linen (Sport: 100% Normandy Linen, 200 yards). The color is Waterman Silver and it’s a store sample. I first saw this design while on the I-91 shop hop last year. It’s the kind of vest that (really) looks good on everyone. The size range is extensive: 30 (32.5, 35.5, 38.5, 41.5, 44.5, 48, 51, 54)”

I enjoyed knitting this very versatile and wearable vest. Knit all in stockinette, it was not boring. The construction was very interesting. The back is knit normally from bottom up. The sides are picked up off the side and knit outward, casting on for the upper fronts after armhole shaping. There are some short rows in the front to give it some shape.

For the finishing, there is a fold-over front border and an picked up i-cord bind off. The option exists to pick up and knit cap sleeves. I omitted the pockets, personally I don’t like any extra fabric on or around my hips.

Since I knit with a handpainted yarn, I used two skeins and alternated every two rows. The plus side is that the color is very fluid. The down side is that there were a lot of ends to weave in.

As a side note, when I was swatching, I couldn’t get gauge. The pattern called for a #4. Even when I went down to #1, I couldn’t get gauge. Then I remembered Laura Bryant (of Prism Yarn), explaining that purl stitches often knit up more loosely and sometimes you have to work your purl row on a smaller needle. So, that’s what I did. I knit on a #2 and purled on a #1. It worked my tension became totally even. (I actually saved the swatch that showed this, and don’t know where it is.)

I desperately wanted to bring it in to work Thursday. Wednesday night I soaked it for an hour to soften it and relax the stitches. Then gently squeezed out the water and laid it out to dry. When I woke up, I turned a fan on to dry it faster. While the fan was drying it, I sat (in direct line of the fan) and weaved in the ends. Talk about multitasking! I must say I was slightly chilled.

I knit the 35.5″ size. I liked it so much that I am going to knit one for myself.

Tucker (golden doodle) wants so much for Boris (yellow lab) to like him). I imagine Tucker thinking ‘his paw is touching mine, I won’t make any sudden movements and maybe he won’t notice’.