Unraveled, Week 36/2025

It is so hard to go back to the normal routine after a long weekend, particularly a long weekend with so much rest, but the nice thing about it is that it's already Wednesday, and that means it's time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers. This week there has been no unraveling -- but there has been some finishing!

Pattern: Kudzu by Laura Aylor (Ravelry link), size S/36.1 in. bust
Yarn: Shibui Linen (100% linen), color Ash, approximately 2.1 skeins/516 yards
Needles: US 5/3.75 mm -- 
Started/Completed: August 3/August 28
Mods: see below

This pattern had been in my library since the summer of 2023, and it was I originally bought the Miss Babs linen/silk for (I ended up using it for Midsommarkrans). But when I found three skeins of the now-discontinued Shibui Linen on the giveaway table and realized there was enough, I figured it was fate that I finally made it.

The yarn took a little getting used to because it's 100% linen and has no stretch, but it's formed in a kind of i-cord tube that gives it some flexibility. I didn't find it tiring to work with, but my hands are always dry these days because I'm washing my hands so much, and sometimes the yarn would catch on a rough spot, so I made sure to have some lotion nearby if needed.

The pattern itself took a little getting used to because I've knit at least one Laura Aylor pattern before but never a garment. I had fewer issues with the lace, though, with no ripping and reknitting required. I especially like how the leafy edging along the armholes comes together under the arms:

I went a bit off piste with the body, in part because my stitch count was a little off for the front and in part because I didn't want the lower hem to be too wide, so I only worked two sets of increases below the waist (I'm pretty sure the pattern called for more). The only real modification I made was to work an i-cord bind-off for the lower hem. The pattern calls for simply binding off (maybe in purl?), but even in a plant-based fiber I thought there was still a risk of that hem curling up. Plus, there's an i-cord edging around the arms and on the sides of the straps, so why not make it match? It took a little extra time, but I think it was worth it.

Please excuse the messy hair.

After I washed the tank and left it to dry flat, I pressed it with a steamy iron to open up the lace and flatten the straps. I imagine that in time, with more washing and wearing, it'll soften, but for now it's fairly crisp, though not uncomfortably so. If I were knitting this again, I would make the neck opening in the front as wide as the back; I'm just not wild about how closely it comes in. As it is, I will need to wear this with a tank underneath, as you see here, or with a strapless bra (yuck). But it feels very comfy on and will be a great piece for the summer because it weighs practically nothing -- 105 g!

Now I'm only working on that two-tone charity hat and trying to finish it up as soon as I can because the Pigskin Party kicks off tomorrow and WIPs don't count, so I'll want to cast on some new projects.

It's been another pretty stellar week of reading, so much so that I'm going to take a page from Bonny's book and save my reviews for Friday. Until then, friends, enjoy your first week of September!