Capecho conquered

It's good to be back in Singapore for Chinese New Year - much warmer weather and much, much better access to blogland. A big thank you to those who left me comments earlier - now that my internet access is a bit more stable I can finally visit you back!

I'm also very pleased to start February with a new FO - the Capecho/Cabled Bolero/Multi-Pentagon Shruggy Thing is finally done. To be sure, it is a small knit, and unseasonal to boot. (Too scanty for Shanghai's winter, too warm for the tropics, and it's not even red.) Still, it has brought immense satisfaction. To recap, the challenge I set myself was to more or less reproduce the fit as seen on the cover photo of Vogue Knitting Winter 06/07, without eliminating any of the pentagons or changing their placement as some knitters have done. Clever as these modifications were in themselves, the final appearance was also quite different from the original. I, however, was completely bowled over by the raw, edgy yet sophisticated feel of the original. Can it be reproduced, despite the well-documented slew of gauge woes? I'm happy to report that indeed, it can be done!

Pattern: Cabled Bolero (#2) designed by Norah Gaughan in VK Winter 06/07, otherwise known as the Capecho

Yarn: RYC Cashsoft DK in Tape, a sort of taupe colour. I think I used slightly more than 5 balls of this, although I can't be sure (see geeky note on neckband, below).

Notions: 1 x coconut shell button, 3/4" diameter

Needles: 4mm

Major mods: The critical mod was to size the pentagons down boldly. I followed instructions for the smallest size (XS), but instead of knitting the garment in aran-weight yarn on 5.5mm needles as called for by the pattern, I knit it in DK-weight yarn on 4mm needles, and eliminated 2 stitches from each cable, resulting in 10 sts less per pentagon perimeter. Since I tweaked the pentagon size, the sleeves (each of which is really a tube growing out of a pentagon) also had to be modified. What I did was work 8 rows of the pentagon pattern before continuing even for about 2.5". I then decreased 20 stitches over 4 rows and changed to K2, P2 rib for another 4" before binding off. I followed the pattern instructions for the neckband using the same yarn and needles as for the main body of the garment.

Geeky knitter notes:

• Joining pentagons: The pattern has you join pentagons as you knit by picking up stitches along the edge(s) of the previous pentagon(s). However, it leaves you to figure how to do it in a way that produces a smooth join between pentagons. Here's what worked for me: cast on the number of stitches required (i.e. total no needed for the perimeter of your pentagon minus the stitches you are going to pick up along neighbouring pentagons), purl one row. Now with RS facing, pick up and knit the required stitches from neighbouring pentagons. Now continue with the third row of your pentagon (if knitting the XS, this should be row 11 on the pentagon chart).
• Neckband: Mighty were my struggles with the neckband. So mighty that they probably deserve a long boring post all by themselves. Just kidding. First, for some reason I allowed myself to glide from 10-row cable twists to 12-row cable twists pretty early on in the neckband, such that when I pinned the band and body together, even DH could tell that the left side looks different from the right. Right - rip back and re-knit. Then there was the issue of how long a neckband to knit. I have seen some comments from knitters who felt that it was not practical to follow the pattern's instructions for joining the neckband to the body ("1 st of body to 1 row of band"). This seems reasonable, given that whatever gauge you knit the capecho at, there would be fewer stitches than rows for the same distance. So I followed the "intuitive" route of knitting the neckband until it fit along the edges of the first row of pentagons and seamed them together, ignoring the injunction to match 1 st of body to 1 row of band. I cannot emphasise this enough: this nearly sank the project. I ended up with a super floppy neckband and no semblance of fit whatsoever for the entire garment. So I unpicked the seam (ouch) and started over again, this time matching st to row. This meant a much shorter neckband than before, which has the effect of cinching the whole garment at the top and correcting the overall fit. Here's a photo proving that I had originally over-knit the neckband by some 6 inches! Of course, all those extra inches were eventually ripped back, and I was none the worse for it, except for being pretty dazed and confused by then as to how much yarn the FO really needed. 
• Convertibility: I have seen examples of Capechos that were converted into larger garments, such as pullovers. I have also been asked if this pattern lends itself to conversion into, say, a throw. If you too are wondering about such conversions, may I humbly recommend against it. I have two reasons: first, this particular cabled pentagon, when sewn up, is not something that will stay naturally flat and two-dimensional. In fact, it resembles a very shallow tent - hence the almost sculptural texture of the original Capecho. Second, and this is the real geeky bit, regular-sided pentagons do not tessellate - so joining many pentagons together by the edges cannot yield a flat fabric even if each of them was perfectly flat to start with. If the pattern is converted into a pullover, you'd probably have to spend time figuring out where to insert two-fifths or three-fifths of a pentagon to fulfil the demands of fit. Even then, it is likely for the pentagons to form awkward points at some parts and stretch out of shape at others. As for a throw, well, I think a better bet would be to convert the pentagon into a hexagon.

Parting shot: This is an amazing pattern with all the elements I love - innovative construction, a deceptively simple stitch pattern, and a finished garment that screams runway. I get a serious kick out of making with my own hands stuff that looks to the uninitiated like it cost an insane amount of money. (Of course, we knitters know better. It just cost an insane amount of time.) In this case, I couldn't have done it without the benefit of the documented experience of other knitbloggers and Ravelers. You guys make this world a better place!

May the Year of the Rat bring you much prosperity and good fortune, yarn-related or otherwise!

Comments

[benne]

I am so taken with your Capecho, it is just lovely and it somehow looks so natural in the Orient. Maybe something about the genius of the design with the incorporation of nature. Whatever it is, it works. Beautiful knitting!

[Stacey_CrimsonPurl]

It came out wonderful!! Great knit job!

Thanks for all the good notes for future reference!

[sue]

It turned out a perfect fit and it looks gorgeous on you too.

[Anna]

It looks great! What an interesting knit, and it looks like so much cable-y fun!

[Ingrid]

Yours is absolutely gorgeous! I can not believe that you posed for photos in Singapore in it though .... When I lived there, I never, ever, ever wore wool!

[Susanne]

Wow, your capecho turned out beautiful. Thanks for sharing the details of your making-of. I've planned to do one, too, but didn't start with it yet.
Greetings from old Germany
Susanne

[WendyM]

The time and effort spent on your Capecho has certainly paid off as it looks very Runway. And thank you for the notes. It was not something I was tempted to knit previously due to the problems other knitters had, but I am now having second thoughts about it. As you said, there is a lot to be learned by being a little late for the party.

[Jane]

That's really great. Would you mind posting what the finished size was?

[Nadine Fawell]

This in On My List - thank you so much for the well-documented advice! I wasn't too keen on the idea of cutting pentagons out, but what you did? I can do that. Even if I don't know what tesselate means!

[ElaineL]

This is on my knitting list. Could you tell me or email the measurement of your sweater. I am a 5'2, 97 pounds petite asian lady and i want to knit this sweater making sure that it fits me snugly like the picture. I went to my LYS yesterday and they told me i can only use Aran wool and i need 11 skiens. IS that true? Looks like you use DK yarns and only need less than 6 skiens.