I’ve been lurking in the Rav forum peeking at what people are doing and seeing some amazing amazing Ella Coats!  I want to own them all for myself, I have to confess! And I want, even more, to see a convention of Ella coats. What a sight that would be!

I could see, already in Week 10, that there is discussion of closures. The right closure for Ella is rather like searching for the right button. It is no easy task. Fortunately, Ella can be worn open for a while or closed just under the bust for a nice effect. The waist detailing also suggests a nice location for an interim closure.

In other words, there is time to find the right thing. . . Sometimes the search takes a while and requires a few false starts or tries. I have, myself, not found quite the right thing for my two Ellas: Red Stripes Ella and Pewter Ella.

I have tried the JUL spiral bridge closure on both. It is dramatic and striking. In short, fabulous. But it is also heavy. Pewter Ella, being a bit more sturdy than Red Striped Ella could handle it. She’s got a very elegant strength to her. So, the closure has moved to Pewter Ella’s back, where it makes quite a statement.

I want something easier and lighter for the front closure. I looked at (and re-produce here) some of the pictures of closures that people have put up in the Rav forum.

There is the conventional subtle cord-covered hook & eye. I took these from one of Beth’s posts. . . These are great if you really don’t want a closure to show. Perfect for the ruffle on both sides Ella.

And here is a little bit fancier version for the person who wants the closure to show but is content to let those curls nestle amongst the ruffles. I also found a gold version when I was poking around on the internet sites that offer frogs.

Want something still traditional but a little fancier? Try this one. I bet you can get it in just about every color there is. Don’t really want it to show, maybe put all the hoo haa on the inside. so just the knot is visible (or not).

Here are some more of the more ubiquitous frogs . . . some smaller and more subtle than others. Picking frogs is like picking buttons (or light fixtures). . . you have to see it on the coat. . ..

I liked this flower frog. . .

This seemed one that would look great nestled amongst ruffles. . . I can see this on a bag, too.

And then there are the fancy, really unusual frogs. . . like the white one below (also available in black). This is a frog that is meant to be the center of attention. I would say one just under the bust. Two at the most. One under the bust and the other at the waist detail.

And then there are the frogs that look as though they could be worn with fancy buttons. Perhaps folks with ruffles on one side and simple plackets on the other would want to choose one of these types. . .

I’m still on the hunt myself, so as I find options I am considering myself (along with decorations), I will post about the search. In the meantime, please keep posting pictures of your beautiful coats and the closures you are considering. You can always use a shawl stick or a wooden cable needle to close your coat in the meantime.

On another note, in the live chat last Wednesday I asked people if they had any particular desires when it comes to bags. I’m in the middle of designing my new collection for Spring and Summer and wondered if there was overwhelming consensus. . . it was ruffles.

SO, I have designed Ella’s Going Out Bag. . . festooned with ruffles and French Anemones . . . I’m casting on later today. And as soon as she can be seen, I’ll post sneak peak pictures on Facebook. She will debut at MD Sheep & Wool Festival in the Noni Booth.

Check back on Wednesday for the first posting about the next Noni KAL:  A beautiful summer project from Noni Flowers.

As you work on the skirt, you will be thinking about length.  .  . Perhaps you have already decided how long to make the skirt so it’s just a matter of trying it on now and again. You will stop when it is just shy of the right length.

I will leave you to all that decision making . . .

This is a plea to weave in ends as you go. I am a confessed leave it all to the end person myself. I come from that perspective. I get all caught up in the knitting and I don’t want to weave in ends or block or do much of anything else (even water the flowers) until the project is done. Then I return to myself and notice the plants drooping in their pots, weave in ends for days, literally days.

I have been working on a new Ella as some of you might know, inspired by the ski hat my son recently requested.

This Ella has even more ends than the last one as I have been changing colors with greater frequency.

My Medallion Travel Bag is full to bursting with balls of yarn. . .

This means lots of ends to contend with.

I have, in light of the suffering before me, decided to suffer as I go. I have gotten out my large-eyed sharp darning needle and my thread nippers and spend some time at the end of each knitting session to weave in the ends produced since the last time I sat down to knit.

I’ve talked before about my technique: I weave straight back from the edge along the same color field, piercing the fibers in that field in much the same way a little mole tunnels just under the surface. My needle is that little mole. . . I think it creates a better “stick.”

When I join a new color at the edge, I tie the new end with the old one in a square knot (stays but better than the granny knot my own granny would not have used as she, too, preferred the square knot). Then I weave in the ends like color with like. I read once that Barbara Walker was not shy about starting with a new strand of yarn in the middle of the row. I have to admit I am of the same mind. If I must use a new ball of yarn in the middle of a row, or get it in my mind to switch colors mid-row, I just start working with the new strand, tie the ends together in a square knot, and weave in the ends going in opposite directions each color with its like color field. I weave in about an inch of the end before cutting off just about 1/16th of an inch from the fabric as you can see just above.

We are thinking ahead to decorating finished Ellas in our Wednesday Ravelry live chat. Join us between 9 and 10 pm EST!

This week is an easy week. Your task is to work the collar and neck ruffle. If the live chat audience is a good cross section of the entire Ella audience, then some of you are holding off making a decision about what sort of ruffle you want to use for the entire coat. This is fine . . . I have to confess that I save most of my ruffles for last. . .

1. Two Ellas: Minimalist, Ruffled? Super-ruffled?: The Collar

The original Ella neck/collar was worked in stockinette stitch and had a conventional ruffle. As you will notice in the picture below, the collar is soft and unstructured and no amount of blocking would persuade it otherwise. As it is, it falls open and reads like a soft v-neck collar. You might notice that the collar goes all the way to the placket. This is because I worked the collar after I worked both front plackets as written in the pattern. . .

My new Ella collars are worked in a 1×1 rib and end with the super picot ruffle introduced in last week’s post. But they are worked before the plackets on the front of the coat. You can see in the picture below (when compared to that above) that the plackets on the front are picked up on the side of the neck ruffle rather than the neck ruffle extending all the way to the end of the placket. The feeling is quite different for several reasons:  The 1 x 1 rib gives the collar greater structure. It also makes it stretcher and looks the same on either the “inside” or the “outside.” AND the extension of the front plackets up the edges of the neck ruffle (and another secret tweak I will divulge when we get to the front plackets & ruffles) also adds structure and gives the neckline more of a V-shape look with the weight of the ruffle pulling the collar open. I like both but they are different. If you are going to follow the pattern with the front plackets done before the neckline, you will not have much to do this week, I’m afraid. . . except make your gauntlets (look for information about that pattern link in Wednesday’s post) and make Bling or Cactus Flowers to decorate your coat (look for these patterns in your local yarn store. You can see what they look like on Ravelry).

The Ella out of the Red Barn Yarn Hand-dyed in Mushroom is a more structured coat all around so the collar itself is more structured and likely to stand up. As you see it behaving here is almost how the collar behaves when you are wearing it.

Here you can see the collar is not as tall as the Mushroom Ella and has more drape. As do the others, the collar stays open when I wear the coat.

2. What You Need to Know & How to Do What You Need to Do:

For this week, the only official assignment is to work the neck and any ruffle at its edge. The unofficial assignment is to catch up if that has been at all an issue–I know we have some late-comers joining us, so this gives some a chance to get closer to where we all are knitting (I, personally, am starting 2 new Ella coats–one for me and one for Melissa!. . . pics of them as soon as there is anything fun to show!). So, finish whatever might be remaining on the sleeves, finish those cuffs and cuff ruffles. . .

For the collar treatment pictured in the pattern, you will have to wait.

For a stockinette or 1 x 1 rib collar worked as my new Ellas are, here is how you will pick up stitches (on the right side): 20 (21, 22, 23, 23, 23) sts along right front neck edge, 26 (26, 30, 32, 32, 32) sts across back neck, 20 (21, 22, 23, 23, 23) sts along left front neck edge. Tweak slightly if necessary so that your total number of stitches is divisible by 2 + 1 extra stitch.

Purl the first row.

Begin your 1 x 1 rib with a knit stitch, *p1, k1; repeat from * across, ending with k1 for a lovely symmetry.

Or, to say this another way if you are like me and don’t want to count stitches particularly: Pick up stitch for stitch at the neck bind off, 3 sts for every 4 rows for the side neck, pick up stitch for stitch across the back neck, 3 sts for every 4 rows down other side neck, stitch for stitch at neck bind and make sure the total stitch count is divisible by 2 +1 extra stitch.  Purl the first row (now WS)
Next row (RS): Starting with k1, work a 1 x 1 rib across and end with k1.

Work in established stitch pattern until the collar reaches the desired length. I check this two ways: 1. Were a strong breeze to come up and coax me to pull my collar up around my neck, does it do the job? And, 2. When the collar lies down, as it will most of the time, do I like it? When the answer to both of these questions is yes, I’m finished. Time to ruffle.

3. My Innovations & Tweaks:

You may, of course, choose to use the more relaxed ruffle style in the original pattern. It takes less time, yarn, and is more understated. If you are smitten with my favorite ruffle, here it is again just I introduced it in last week’s post. I employed this same ruffle at the end of the collar as well as the sleeve cuffs, plackets, and skirt hem.

RS: Kfb across the row.

WS: Purl.

RS: *Kfb, k1; repeat from * across row.

WS: Execute a picot bind off as follows: *Using a cable cast on, CO 2 stitches, BO 3, placing the stitch that remains on the right needle back onto the left needle; repeat from * until all stitches are bound off.

4. What to Check As-You-Knit:

Truth be told, not much to check on this week . . .  except the length of the collar, as I mentioned above. You may want to try on your Ella bodice as you are working to see how long (tall) you want the collar to be. I made my Ella collars between 3 and 4 inches long. Please your own eyes and sensibilities!

5. Fun Stuff!

As you may know, we are working on the Poppy Cowl mini knit-a-long. This week I will discuss grafting a rib pattern as well as introduce my matching gauntlets pattern. I will have the gauntlets uploaded onto Ravelry on Wednesday. Shops, I’ve got paper patterns you can order! Just write to orders@nonipatterns.com.

If you’d like, you may want to start making some Bling or other flat profile flowers for decoration. . .You can see a couple of little flowers I have pinned to my Ocean Stripes ella (above). . . Usually I have more but I probably took some off to wear in my hair. I used the flower clips I distribute for this purpose. Easy to sew flowers to the clips and then clip to anything. See more about these in previous postings on flowers.

Come to the live chat Wednesday, February 22 between 9 and 10 for a special announcement!

Whatever you decide to work on, please post your pictures for everyone to see!

Happy Ella Knitting!

This week, we are finishing the sleeves! I urge you to read the entire post before launching ahead. I will give you the specific differences between the two patterns first and divulge my ruffle secret on a platter, then go over the techniques you will need for this week’s assignment, and finally offer yet one more cuff innovation you might want to consider.

1. A Tale of Two Ellas: Both the original Ella Coat and the Rediscovered Ella Coat have you working the sleeve ruffles the same way. You put your provisional stitches back on the needle, work down until desired length, and then begin the ruffle.

In both cases, the ruffle asks you to increase by knitting in the front and back of each stitch across a knit row, purling back, repeating the increase row, then binding off. Here is how this ruffled sleeve cuff will look:

This is a lovely ruffle. . . but if you want something almost ineffably more fabulous, try my personal tweak to the pattern and you’ll get a ruffle that looks like THIS!

Here you see the difference. . . decided which ruffle you’d like to employ for the ruffley bits for your own coat.

I recommend that you swatch the original ruffle from the pattern across about 16 stitches. Then do the same for this new ruffle. See which you prefer. If you have other ideas for a treatment that will work for neckline, front plackets, sleeve cuffs and bottom edging, please share. I did hear grumblings that a shop in Michigan was swatching I-cord bind off edgings and I am keen to see how that is turning out.

Without further ado: My Favorite Ruffle Fully Disclosed:

RS: Kfb across the row.

WS: Purl.

RS: *Kfb, k1; repeat from * across row.

WS: Execute a picot bind off as follows: *Using a cable cast on, CO 2 stitches, BO 3, placing the stitch that remains on the right needle back onto the left needle; repeat from * until all stitches are bound off.

I will not sugar coat this: it is sometimes tedious and takes some bit of time. I refused to count my stitches because then I might get, well, distracted by the number. But it is simple to do and you can even fudge it sometimes and CO 2 and BO 4 or something like that about half the time. The delicacy of stitches is delicious. If you are daunted by what I’m saying, you should do that swatch exercise I mention before you commit. But I’m telling you, you’ll love the results and no regular ruffle can rival it. . . this may be as good as throwing down the gauntlet for some who will scour the internet for a rival ruffle . . . If I’m wrong, I’m happy to admit it, but show me optical proof!

2. What You Need to Know:

Cable Cast On, the text with pictures (this tutorial explains more than one type of cast on method but pays particular attention to the cable cast on method. I use the cable cast on without the twist: Check it out here.

Cable Cast On, the video. KnittingHelp.com has two videos, one showing how to perform this cast on if you are a Continental knitter.

and one showing the English method.

Picot Bind Off, the video. This video is straightforward for those who want to see the picot bind off worked in addition to reading how it’s done. See it here.

3. My Innovations & Tweaks . . .

NEW:  French Cuffs for Ella!

This is my most recent Ella innovation. . . Take a look at how fabulous they are!

In week 4 I implored you not to move forward with the cuff ruffles themselves but to make the sleeve the desired length by leaving it alone, shortening, or lengthening.

At this point, then, you should have sleeves that are just right.

I asked you to leave at least 4″ (10cm) un-seamed at the cuff end. This way you could try on the bodice until sleeves were perfect, but then put the whole project carefully in your knitting bag or basket waiting for today. . .

Well, as I was working on my own latest Ella, I had the idea for French cuffs. So, if you’d like to follow my example, here’s what you do. Don’t seam the sleeve all the way to end! Leave between 2 and 3 inches unconnected. I won’t dictate the length as your taste trumps mine and you might have longer arms than I do. Please your eye, or the eyes of those nearest and dearest to you.

You already have the live cuff stitches waiting for you and you have closed the seam to the desired point. Now, with the right side facing you, you are going to pick up and knit the stitches from seam to cuff on the left side of the sleeve as it lies on the table in front of you (cuff farthest away from you and the body of the sleeve nearest you) Pick up stitches on the left side of this opening, starting closest to the moment where the two parts of the sleeve come together. Pick up and knit 3 stitches for every 4 rows until you get to your live stitches, work across those live stitches, then pick up and knit 3 stitches for every 4 rows on the right side of the remaining part of the opening. Purl back across all stitches. Then make your ruffle as written, as you please, or as I did . . . (refer to My Favorite Ruffle instructions above).

 4. What to Check As-You-Knit: 

The ruffles do not add much length, so I recommend that the sleeves are the right length before you start the ruffle itself.

5. What Fun! Ella Diversions for this week:

Don’t forget that Week 2 of our Cowl diversion/mini-knit-a-long is this Friday! I have added pictured to last Friday’s post of red poppy cowl colorway, so take a look and join us!  Patterns can be purchased through your favorite participating yarn shop–the newest participant is a shop in Howell, Michigan named Stitch in Time. They are prepared with red poppy cowl kits! with the pink and purple ones on the way to them this week (as soon as I get home to ship them out!).

This past Wednesday on the Ravelry live chat, we got overwhelming feedback that 1 week was not enough time to finish the sleeves. I hope this statement does not elicit a round of growls and groans from the studio audience who knitted ceaselessly, at great sacrifice to themselves and their families, to finish the sleeves. . .

I hope I can make everybody happy with this week’s assignment: For all those who are ready to do something with the sleeves you have knit, I’ve got something for you! For all who need more time to finish the sleeve knitting, here is what to do when you are done in preparation for next week’s assignment.

1. Weave in the bodice and sleeve ends: I have not offered my thoughts about this topic here before, and I may be bucking tradition, but here is what I think. Put your tapestry needle back in the needle case. Save it for the seams. Get out a large-eyed darning needle, that is a sharp needle, and use that for weaving in the ends. Here’s why: I make a point of inserting my needle into a portion of the purl stitch bumps on the wrong side of the knitted fabric (in mole-like fashion. If you’ve taken a workshop from me before, you will recall me referencing moles and voles. Your needle, like a mole, is going to make it’s way beneath the surface, in this case of the wrong side of your knitting. Continue in this manner away from the origin of your end to be woven in for about an inch (2.5cm) and then come to the surface. Pull the needle through to snugness but not taught-ness. Cut close to the surface of the wrong side of the fabric. It is my conviction that this produces no impression on the right side of the fabric and makes for a better “stick.”

If you have a weaving-in method that you like and that works, by all means do what works for you.  But please weave in your ends up to this point if you have not already done so, especially you folks working in stripes.

2. Block your bodice and sleeve pieces (if you like): As most of you already know, blocking your pieces as you prepare to work some seams make it easier to do this work. If you are a non-blocker (I confess I fall into this category), I’m not going to tell you to do something I don’t do myself. I block at the end. . . But I do concede that there is a certain pleasure in beautifully blocked pieces and that seaming has a greater sweetness with well-blocked fabric.

3. Seam up (most of) each sleeve: I have not forgotten that I implored you last week not to put the provisional stitches with which you began your sleeves back onto needles. This week, if your sleeves are finished, you may move those provisional stitches back to a circular needle or needles in preparation for knitting your sleeves down to the desired length cuffs.

Because working these stitches will require a certain amount of play in the fabric of your sleeves, we are going to begin the seam on each sleeve from the armhole BO end and work toward those provisional stitches. I want you to work the seam until it is about 4 – 5 inches (10 – 12.5cm) from the live provisional stitches.

For those of you have never made a garment before, you will be using a conventional mattress stitch to make the seam more or less invisible. There are a lot of on-line tutorials with good videos on how to do this technique. Google at will to find one you like. This one does the job: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvAS-HCWk9I

Things to keep in mind as you work on the sleeve seams:

1. Don’t forget to work from the BO toward the cuff. Stop (with plenty of tail) about 4 or so inches (10cm) from the live provisional stitches.

2. Line up the two sides of the seam, right sides facing you, with increases and any stripes aligned. Clip in place using seam or hair clips. T-pins can also be used for this purpose. If others have little tricks that would benefit us all, please share in the comments.

3. For those who have striped the sleeves, choose a seaming color yarn that is compatible with the majority of your stripes. This yarn should in most any circumstance, be undetectable on the outside. But if you worked your coat in a palette of black to white with shades of grey in between, you might want to use a middling grey for the majority and stick with white for white and black for black. If a medium grey does the whole thing well, by all means do it. The main point: choose wisely and maybe swatch a little to determine the best match. You’ll be glad you did.

Setting the Sleeves into the Bodice

Once sleeve seams are complete (save for that last bit toward the cuff about which I keep growling ), you can set them into the bodice. For this part of the seaming work, you will need to join stitches to each other horizontally as well as vertically. You will join the bound off stitches of the bodice to those of the sleeve at the underarm. These bound off stitches are here so that there is a smooth, flat bit under your arm where you need it to lie flat and not bother, bunch, or bind.

Then you will begin to join stitch to stitch vertically, matching stripes if relevant. You will notice those 24 bound off stitches at the top of the sleeve cap–if striping, you might have wondered why your sleeve stripes stopped so much sooner than the bodice. The reason is because all sleeve caps must be more or less flat over the crown of the shoulder. If the sleeve continued to decrease to nothing or almost nothing as the stripes continued for the same height as the bodice, the result would be a sleeve that, like a really pointy toed shoe, would squeeze you in places you wouldn’t want to be squeezed, the fabric of the bodice would stretch to try to accommodate the width you need at the top of your arm. O, just trust me, it would be bad.

Sleeves in place, now you can try on the Ella BOLERO, I mean the Ella bodice with sleeves!

I hope the results produce a great sense of satisfaction. But here’s what you will learn in an instance. You will know if the sleeves are long enough. . .  or too long (hope not. . .).

If they are long enough, you are ready for next week’s assignment. Don’t rush ahead because I’ve got innovations to divulge. .

Too long? You can take them back a bit if you need to.

Too short? Work until the desired length.

Just don’t seam up that little bit there at the cuff end.  I’ve got options and plans for you, so sit tight. . . more about this next week.

If you really need something to do, join our mini-knit-a-long. We are working on the Poppy Cowl (see my last blog posting) and will add to it some cute gauntlets to match.

Happy Knitting!

It might seem strange to add sleeves now. . . but I’m thinking about yardage and stripes. If you were to make the skirt next and then run out of a color, you wouldn’t have it for the sleeves. This could be bad. . .

In order to make sure you have the right colors for your sleeves, let’s make them now.

Your Assignment: For this week, we will make the sleeves as written without picking up those provisional stitches to make the cuffs–save that step for next week. So, just the knitting. No seaming, no setting in! We’ll do that a bit later.

1 & 3. The Sleeves in the Two Ellas & My Tweaks:  In both Ella patterns, the sleeves are saved for one of the last steps. . . this is conventional, but not so great if you are worried about running out of a particular color necessary for matching a stripe pattern in the bodice. . .

The main difference between the two patterns is that in the original, I have a more traditional increase scenario, asking you to increase every 6 & 8th rows. This means that first you increase on the 6th row, then the 8th, then the 6th. . . you get the idea. For the revised pattern, I have you do the first increases every 6th row, then switch to every 8th. The results are virtually the same, just easier to keep track of. Same number of increases, so everyone please follow your patterns as written with regard to how many increases for your size.

2. What You Need to Know:

Fit: I have you cast on the sleeves using a provisional cast on. Here’s my reasoning. Not all people and their arms are alike. When you case on this way, once you finish with the sleeves and sleeve cap, you can return to the provisional stitches, pick them up and work down as far as you like (more about this in next week’s post).

Matching Stripes: You may have your stripe sequence all mapped out. . . if this is the case, you will want to count down from the bodice BO to the approximate number of rows below the BO and match that pattern as you knit up toward the armhole BO.

You may, like me, not know what you will do.  If this is you, you will want to match stripes beginning with the stripe pattern you do know–that of the bodice. In short, match the stripes beginning with the CO for the bodice.

In my latest Ella, I only matched the sleeve stripes with the bodice beginning with the armhole BO. This way, I didn’t worry about gauge, only about matching the stripes where the sleeve meets the body. Number of rows per color must match exactly.

4. What to Check As-You-Knit: You will want to make sure that the sleeves fit your arms in both length and width.

Let’s tackle sleeve length first: please take a moment to look at the schematic either in your pattern or here in the blog. Is the sleeve, as written, about right?, too short? If so, no worries. But what if it is too long? If too long, please identify by how much. It may be that all you will need to do is change those increases every 8th row to every 6th row. In any case, a little easy math and work with your row gauge will tell you that you should increase every ?th row.

What about width or circumference? As I mentioned last week with regard to the armhole depth, I intentionally made the armhole depth for larger sizes less deep than most size schedules or charts would have a designer do. I did this in response to lots of feedback from ladies who pleaded that I not make the arms too baggy.

Thus, in the sleeves, as with the coat in general, I am assuming at least 2 inches (or more) of positive ease. This means that the sleeve circumference is at least 2 inches greater than the circumference of your own arms. Basically, if your arms are larger than the pattern but the armhole depth works for you, this means you will need increase faster and make more increases. When you are done, you will have a sleeve that, at the BO will be wider than the pattern or schematic reports. You will have more stitches to get rid of in order to make the sleeve fit nicely into the existing armscye. This is possible but you may need some help working out the decrease scenario so the fit is just right.

5. What Fun! These sleeves should keep you busy this week. . . but if you do need something to do, start making some Bling Flowers with which to decorate your coat . . .

Making matching flowers to decorate a felted bag will Ella-fy your bag. My picks?  Vintage Bag (large), Bowling Ball Bag (large), The New York Bag (new and officially launched soon. . . stay tuned!), Bedouin Bag, Nomad Bag . . . I could go on.

What are your picks?

Before we go over this week’s task, I want to work on some KAL Blog infrastructure.

This is a partial post. I know some of you are fit to be tied to get going and I’m holding you up. So, I’m going to post this as is with the instructions through the back, keep working on it, and then update later today with the full instructions. The only thing that is changing is I am adding to the post instructions for the week. In response to the feedback, I’m trying to front-load everything. I know I’ll probably miss something because that is the nature of the beast. But isn’t it cool to be able to talk back to the pattern the way you can in this format? Usually, you have to wait until the coat is done and try it on to see if it fits. This way, if you have to rip out (and I’ve done plenty of that over time after the whole thing was DONE and seamed together. . . I prefer things this way) it’s trivial. So, like any good foundation, better to lay it right in the beginning.

Henceforth, the Monday Ella Blog will be partitioned into several sections to make it easier for everyone to see what the week’s task is, what is the difference in the two versions of the pattern and why I have done things the way I have, how to follow me in my Ella innovations, what to check for in your own knitting, and what incentives and diversions we have planned for you during the week.

Now, in order of appearance in this and future Monday Ella KAL Posts:

1. The Two Ellas: Their Differences and Similarities In this section, I will go over the differences between the original Ella Coat for Women and the more recently revised Ella Coat Re-Discovered so that no one feels left out or in the dark or guessing or any of that new-kid-on-the-block awkwardness.

2. What You Need to Know  In this section I will supply any additional information you may need to complete the week’s task, such as pattern notes, links to tutorials that others have done previously, and links to any tutorials or videos that I might make.

3. Nora’s Innovations and Tweaks  In this section I will divulge my innovations and tweaks and how to make them yourself.

4. What to Check As-You-Knit  This is where we will talk about customization issues. Here I will discuss fit, how to check for fit, what–in a big picture way–different folks might need to do in order to make Ella work for a body idiosyncrasy that the pattern does not take into account. A caveat: I can answer big picture questions, offer advice, make suggestions that will be relevant to many. I cannot do one-on-one consultations with individuals about their specific needs.

5. What Fun! Here I will outline any Ella Diversions to look for toward mid-week and detail any incentives or contests we are offering to keep you guessing and having a good time.

Now, without Further Ado:  Let’s move on!

1. Pattern Differences Outlined As Relates to the Shoulder: An Overview

I have specified the method for decreasing at the armhole edge, the neck opening, and the sleeves (I’ll remind you when we get there) in the pattern notes for the revised pattern and in the body of the bodice instructions, etc., in the original pattern. I include them here for ease of finding and following.

2. Relevant Pattern Notes: Decrease Method for Bodice & Sleeves Here is the method I want you to use when working the decreases for the armhole, neck, and sleeve:

• RS: At beginning of RS rows: k2, ssk, knit across; at end of RS rows: knit to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2. NOTE The Re-discovered pattern shows an ssk for the second decrease on a RS row, it should be k2tog in order for the slants to be mirrored. I will post an errata.  The decrease method in the Original pattern is correct.

• WS: At beginning of WS rows: p2, p2tog, purl across; at end of WS rows: purl to last 4 sts, ssp, p2.

• Armhole BO: In the Original Ella, the BO is separated at the armhole and is done in two parts, the first half of the armhole BO is connected to working the back, the second part occurs when you work the front. My revision has the BO occur all in one stop so no tiny jog to take into account as you set in the sleeve.

Both methods work, but the revised method is more elegant. Here is the row: Removing all markers, work to 4 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5) sts before 2nd marker, BO 8 (8, 8, 8, 10, 10) sts for underarm, work to 4 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5) sts before 5th marker, BO 8 (8, 8, 8, 10, 10) sts for underarm, work to end. Slip the 34 (39, 43, 48, 51, 56) sts for each front to separate holders—68 (78, 86, 96, 102, 112) back sts remain on needle. [NOTE: the bolded numbers are listed incorrectly in the Ella Rediscovered pattern.]

3. Slight Tweaks from the Original  Because I moved the markers in the bodice a bit from the original coat construction, the stitch counts for the fronts and back are slightly different from the original pattern. Please use these instructions above–the total stitch counts are the same for both pattern versions).

• Bodice Back: Decrease at each armhole edge (that is every row) per the patterns (both have same instructions and work even until armhole measurement for your size per both patterns or desired depth–more about armhole depth in my updated post later today . . . .
  Last row: Work 16 (18, 20, 20, 22, 23) shoulder sts, BO 26 (26, 30, 32, 32, 32) back neck sts, work 16 (18, 20, 20, 22, 23) shoulder sts.
  Place shoulder sts on holders.

NOTE about armhole depth: I made the arm hole on this coat smaller than the “standard” measurement charts that most designers use. My reasoning was this: so many ladies said to me, “for the larger sizes, don’t make the arms gorilla arms!” I was repeatedly implored to make the armhole human-sized. So, this is something I want you to look at with your garment. Is the armhole depth right for you? You can check by measuring this depth on a garment you like and want to fit similarly to your Ella. If you want to wear Ella as a winter coat, measure a light weight winter coat. More like a suit jacket? Measure one. More like your favorite t-shirt? You know what to do. If you add rows to the back, add to the front the same number for greater depth. You will need to do one more adjustment when we get to the sleeves, but more about that later.  In any case, take notes if you make alterations.

• Left Front: Remember to work your stripes in the same sequence as you did the back. Shape the armholes as you did the back using the same instructions. Work even until the armhole measures 6 1/4″ (15.5cm) [that is, roughly 3-ish inches below the back neck]–29 (31, 35, 36, 38, 39 stitches).
• Neck Shaping: BO at the neck edge as stated in both patterns. Decreases are as written for both patterns and stitch counts on both patterns are as written. Work even until front measures the same as the back to the shoulders. I like to count rows here as a double check.

NOTE For ladies with bosoms, you may want to work some short rows if you need extra fabric in the front. I hope some folks who do this can weigh in here. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have experience in this particular tweak so can’t be of much help except in a theoretical sense.

• Right Front: Work as for left front.

4. What to Check Recap:

Check your stripe pattern to make sure you do in the fronts what you have done in the back. Carefully count your rows. I do have some row differences in my Ella fronts and back. I like them now, like a priceless Persian rug that has such differences–it adds to the character of the piece.

Make sure the armhole depth works for you and how you want to wear Ella. Take good notes as to what you are doing.

5. What Fun!

Please keep up with your project pages on Rav, adding pictures as you go and sharing with the Ella KAL group and other groups you may be a part of.

Join us for the live chat on Wednesday nights. I’ll be there this Wednesday from 9 – 10 pm EST.

I’ll be announcing the Ella Diversions for this week a bit later in the week. We’ve had requests for long and short diversions for maximum choices and time management, so I’m working on that. But you might have noticed I’m not one to just throw something together so I take a little longer at times than I and everyone else (perhaps) would like. I do promise, though, at least a little tiny Ella Diversion by midweek. I’m working on it tonight.

And if you have not already, please take a peak at my non-Ella blog post from yesterday, Jan 22. I’m going to try to make that a regular Sunday feature.

Happy Ella Knitting!