Twist Collective Blog

One of the things that drives me as a knitter is colour, so I am drawn to Mary Jane Mucklestone's work in general, but (this week) Luke's Diced Vest in particular.  Three harmonious patterns of different scale compliment the proportions of the body, and turn a traditional garment into something modern and compelling.  It's both masculine and beautiful, which is a rare fusion in a man's sweater. 

 

Meanwhile, the potential for play in fair isle is impossible to fathom, and I would be paralyzed by the choices. I asked Mary Jane to share the swatches she made as she settled on her masterful final combination. How she ever managed to make the final decision is beyond me, because all of her color choices are so delicious, and the yarn from Sunday Knits impossible to put down (don't take just my word about Sunday Knits: read Clara's Parkes sensuous evaluation of the yarn used in Luke's Vest in Knitter's Review).

 

Colors used according to the pattern chart follow the swatches, with the brighter background colors listed in the left column, and the darker foreground colors in the right. 

 

 

 

Luke A: this pattern is slightly larger than the final version 

From the center bit above 2 rows of Espresso, the rows on the actual pattern chart would roughly be:

rnd 14: curry                chestnut

rnd 13: curry                 chestnut

rnd 12: pumpkin               raisin

rnd 11: pumpkin               raisin

rnd 10: tomato                espresso

rnd 9: tomato                espresso

rnd 8: melon/berry           iris/pickle ( either or!)

 

 

 

 

Luke B:

rnd 14: pumpkin                earth

rnd 13: pumpkin                earth

rnd 12: curry                    chestnut/sea

rnd 11: curry                    chestnut/sea

rnd 10: wheat                    raisin

rnd 9: wheat                    espresso

rnd 8: pickle/bone             iris

 

 

 

 

Luke C:

rnd 8: sage                   espresso

rnd 7: twig                  raisin

rnd 6: twig                  raisin

rnd 5: stone                 chestnut

rnd 4: stone                 chestnut

rnd 3: bone                  earth

rnd 2: bone                  earth 

rnd 1: cloud                 pumpkin/pickle

• there is a little more variation at the top of this one, which includes iris.

 

 

 

 

Luke D:

This swatch tries a little bit of everything used thus far, plus plum and fir.

 

 

 

 

 

Luke E: The launching point for Luke B veering towards the super standard at top which includes beet at the center

 

 

 

 

Luke F is closest to the final version. Tempted?  Check out the lovely guy wearing Mary Jane's beautiful garment, and click on the shop page for more details.