Pattern Insights: Bakanasu

This month a particular project takes the spotlight and I am really excited to be able to finally write about it! Bakanasu is a design that has been under wraps for 3 whole years. It now appears in Knitty’s Spring & Summer 2017 issue.

Bakanasu is a lace weight silk top with unusual structure. It is a versatile piece; and it was inspired by a summer top I already own. I came up with the idea and wrote the pattern in 2013. That’s when I also started working on the sample. Little did I know though, that work, my master thesis and graduation would prevent me from working on the sample constantly. The fact that I also used tiny needles in tight gauge didn’t help with it’s progression either. No matter how long it took, and how stressful the thought of finishing it became, I had no intention of giving up on it. I worked on it little by little, until I decided to make it a marathon and complete it. That was really the most psychologically cathartic thing I have ever achieved! (so far) xD

During all that time, Bakanasu travelled with me: it has been from central Europe to beaches of Northern Greece. The sample was quite narrow, so I was able to use only a pair of bamboo double pointed needles, which were tucked in the center of the yarn cakes to protect them during transport. Once, I forgot to transfer the stitches to waste yarn and place the needles in the checked-in luggage, before going through airport security. Luckily, the security didn’t consider my wooden needles as a weapon and didn’t take them away. Of course, that enabled me to work on Bakanasu during the flight; a rare pleasure!

Generally, wooden straight needles may or may not be taken away; it usually depends on the judgement of the security personnel you encounter. Most have no idea what a dpn needle is, or a crochet hook, or many of the tools we crafters use.

As a project, Bakanasu helped me grow as a knitter; it challenged my tolerance of same pattern repeats. I dislike repeating the same pattern over and over and over again. As well as a designer; my first time grading a garment in multiple sizes and publishing to a magazine. It was also my first time working with silk and making a lace weight garment.

DyeForYarn‘s Tussah Silk is absolutely gorgeous and wonderful to work with it, but as silk, it grows with washing, so I was quite anxious to get the sizing right. The finished garment is not strict with ease and fit, but working for 10 different sizes is no small task. Luckily, my math was proper from the beginning, so no major alterations were needed.

Tussah Silk has a wonderful sheen and drape, and I was completely mesmerized with the result after blocking. I used blocking wires to block the piece. At first, I tried just pinning it, but soon I realized I wouldn’t be able to do it effectively. Instead, I threaded the wires through the lace edging. Then I folded the piece in half; right sides together. The folding ensured that I would get every part of the rectangular stretched evenly. It slowed down the drying a bit, but since it was summer, and the project made of lace, it didn’t take long anyway.

Another awesome part of this project, is the fact that I am getting a pattern published in my favorite knitting magazine, Knitty!

Knitty is the longest-run internet knitting magazine and publishes original patterns with unusual constructions and concepts. I have made a few patterns from it’s issues already and have plenty more in my Ravelry queue. The patterns and tutorials are offered for free, but if you would like to support Knitty and the awesome work they do, you can always contribute through Patreon with as little as 2$ per issue.