Ines! After holding on to the Manos Del Uruguay Serena collection booklet for a couple of years, I finally put this short sleeved top first on my knitwear queue earlier this summer. With reverse stockinette and US 6 (and later US 9) needles, it knits up pretty fast and is perfect for your mindless movie watching knitting. The yoke is shaped with short rows that are also simple enough to breeze through without much concentration. My numbers did come up a little off with the last section of short rows, but it was consistent on both sides, front and back, so I decided it wasn't really something to worry about. The fit overall turned out great and I might even consider making one in another color someday.

The pattern calls for Manos Del Uruguay Serena yarn, which has quite a bit of alpaca in it. Since I wanted to make a summer top out of this, I went with a strictly plant fiber yarn for my project since me in alpaca garments and Oklahoma's summers don't really get along. The humidity here is insulation enough without adding the magical warmth of alpaca (soft and enticing though it may be). As an alternative, I used Knit Picks Shine Sport in Macaw. My smaller gauge didn't end up causing any problems, and the top still fits comfortably loose despite the difference.

Top - Manos Del Uruguay Ines top knitted with Knit Picks Shine Sport; Shorts - Ruche; Tights - Hansel From Basel; Shoes - Shoemint

It feels like an eternity since the last On My Needles post, but to be honest there just hasn't been much time for any "just for fun" garment knitting this summer. I picked up the Manos del Uruguay Design Team's Serena - Collection 1 booklet at my local yarn store a few years back, around the time that I was drooling over a lot of knits but not really making many of them. The top on the cover, Ines, has been on my wish list since that time - there are several eye catching knits in the booklet, but this one grabbed my attention as soon as I glanced at it and was pretty much my reason for the purchase.

In looking for a summery piece of knitwear, I decided to seize the opportunity and cast this one on. The thing is, however, that Oklahoma summers are ridiculously hot. The yarn this pattern calls for is mostly alpaca, and that just wouldn't do at all. While alpaca is one of my favorite fibers to work with it's just not suitable for a short sleeved top in the Lower Midwest. I decided to go with Knit Picks Swish worsted, in Macaw, an EXTREMELY summery color, in all its glory. It reminds me of cool grass. Cool grass distracts me from gross, humid heat. As does the cotton/Modal fiber it's made of - oh, beautiful, breathable, drapey yarn! Plus, it's soft. And... let's be honest. I'm a tree hugger. A tree hugger's favorite color is almost always green. My gauge is slightly smaller than what the pattern calls for, but with the amount of ease provided in the pattern I'm thinking it will be okay- just a little more fitted.

Thus far, I've finished the front piece and am working on the bottom edge of the back. If I dedicated this week to it, I could probably finish. There are other projects that require my attention, however, so that daydream has to go on the shelf for a bit. Just like stitching in the elastic for my Lanesplitter skirt, another knitwear project that's been collecting cobwebs. Just because I haven't been working on things for myself, however, does not mean that all knitwear has been pushed to the side. Part of that time has been dedicated to finalizing some original patterns that will hopefully be released in a few weeks! Linger nearby, my dear knitters. More on this soon.