Waterrock

Let me start by saying these photos are kind of the pits.  Ocean spray, as in the ferry- not the juice, got on my lens and it wouldn't cooperate the rest of the day.

Waterrock, by Jennifer Kelley of Appalachian Knits, is the perfect summer project.  It's quick to knit, has a hi/low hem, and has a ribbed textured that reminds me of pinstriped menswear-inspired clothes.  Think Annie Hall.

I made the mistake of playing yarn chicken with a discontinued Rowan Denim to make mine.  So I wasn't able to make the armholes as big as I would've liked.  I followed the pattern exactly and got the more fitted look.  This means I won't be wearing any short sleeved menswear-style shirts underneath it, unless I lose weight, and I don't want to knit for that.  It is quite comfortable with only a tank underneath, though.  The ribbing in this denim looks more fitted than it feels.  It had plenty of room to stretch, width-wise.

Jennifer's second Waterrock was knit in Cotlin and has a nice drape to it.  I'd like to make another out of that yarn.  Besides being a bit lighter, with the linen, it probably won't bleed like I'm sure this denim will.

Along with the Kinton tee, I worked this project for three- yes, three- concurrent knit-alongs.

1) Appalachian Knits' Spring KAL (also on instagram) -  where you can find lots of beautiful sweaters and shawl inspiration.

2) Very Shannon's Tops, Tanks, and Tees, KAL (on instagram) -  You know the one.  It has so many finished tops each year.  And this year, there are two Waterrock.  (I just have to say here that my autocorrect is having a field day with that pattern name.  Keep that in mind if you read something offensive. Geez.)

3) Handmade and Woolen's Natural Wardrobe Make-along (on instagram) - which has inspired me to try sewing next and has been a wealth of information on sourcing natural fibers and material.

Details:  I used size US 3 needles and the older version of Rowan denim to knit a size 35" (the second size).  It was an easy pattern to follow and went really quickly.  The whole thing was knit in under two weeks.

I liked the Rowan denim, but I wish I'd used the newer version of this yarn.  The darker denim is nicer, to me.

One thing to note on this pattern is that the arm and neckline edging does bring things in quite a bit.  For me the arms went from fitting surprisingly loose to being fitted.  They're not uncomfortable, just not the loose fit I'm used to.  So, keep that in mind.

Wait, one more thing: thanks to my sweet photographer, who didn't even need her arm twisted, for giving me a fun mother/daughter day.

(more on ravelry, instagram, and flickr)