With each passing season, I tend to do some serious reorganization on my Ravelry queue. The length of it is massive. While I know I'll never actually knit EVERYTHING on my list, it's nice to have a place to record those "things I'd like to make" whether it's because of unique construction or texture, striking color combos or just because it's the perfect garment for that season. Ruckle has been on this list for quite a while and though it never really hovered near the top, summertime hit, the desire to knit a garment made with plant fibers that would be breezy yet interesting overcame me, and I wanted to start something new while on vacation. I decided to cast aside my concerns that the fit of the tunic would hug a little too tightly in certain places and just go for it… it has openings on the lower sides, after all.
Ruckle is a design by Norah Gaughan, one of my favorite knitwear designers. This pattern is actually free, if you decide to make one for yourself! It's knit with Berroco Lago yarn, a worsted weight rayon/linen blend. I decided to go with the Deep End colorway, after the rich, blue shade stood out to me. Does anyone else find it difficult to choose colors for a new garment? I try to go with hues that I haven't used very much or at all on other projects, but somehow it's hard to go with something that unique from my usual color choices. I'm just really drawn to bold, cool tones. Alas…
This design has a very unique construction. You start with panels that make up the top of the shoulders, wrapping around the neck. The stitches for the body are picked up from these panels and knit top-down from there. That large garter stitch section that spans from sleeve tip to sleeve tip seems to take forever, but the body goes relatively quickly after that. At the bottom, short row shaping forms the lower part of the tunic. I'm still working on the garter section of the 2nd side, so it will likely be another week or two before I have finished photos for this one. Finishing up some designs of my own has been taking away from recreational knitting, but the good news is that I should have a new pattern available very soon, and another to follow shortly after that! I hope you're having a great Friday, and enjoy your weekend!
