:: Herbarium ::

Back in November I had the pleasure to test knit a pattern for a talented knitwear designer, Nadia Crétin-Léchenne. I've done some test knitting for her in the past and it's always been a great knitting experience. Those of you who read my blog from time to time or follow my projects on Ravelry- you all know that I'm a big fan of Nadia's patterns. I find them very clear and easy to work on. And Herbarium is not an exception.

It was a very smooth and pleasurable knit. For this project I considered few different yarns but in the end I decided to use Holst Garn Noble. I had this yarn in my stash for a long time, saving it up for the right pattern. While I was knitting my Herbarium, I did not like this yarn at all. It splits a bit and feels like a thread. It doesn't have any springiness to it and it is not very soft. I had my doubts. But after blocking- it just won my heart. It blocks absolutely beautifully, it gains softness in the first wash and the lace pattern unfolds gorgeously. I rarely get the feeling of getting the pattern AND the yarn right but in this case I'm 100% satisfied. 

The pattern, as I said, is very straightforward; the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The lace pattern is easy to remember and there are lace charts there to help you keep track of your work. Herbarium is, of course, completely seamless.

Project notes:

Pattern: Herbarium by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne

Yarn: Holst Garn Noble, 95% wool, 5% cashmere, 2.7 skeins in blue stone

Needles: US2.5 / 3 mm and US3 / 3.25 mm

Modifications: none. I knit size XS while I'm size S: I wanted a more snuggly fit with little (or no) ease and I'm happy with the result I got.

More photos on my Ravelry project page, here.