Chevron & moss stitch top

Finally, I've got this finished!  This is the second of my Home Fires Knitting Project FOs,

although since I started knitting this I have found out via Instagram that this pattern wasn't published until 1946, so a bit historically inaccurate to have included it in a show set in 1939/40.  Although I suppose this could be a reprint / update of a pattern published in the 30s, that's perfectly possible.  Never mind, I like it anyway!  Here are the two versions featured in the show.

The colours used in the pattern are closest to those in the photo on the right - subsitute the pale pink with 'natural' and that's the pattern colourway.  I decided to use yellow / blue / green as this is a top for wearing in the spring.

I knew I wanted all the ribbing to be in navy and the moss stitch sections in yellow so I started merrily knitting the front and got to the end of the chevron section before deciding that I wanted to change the colour order - I knew that having two yellow sections close to each other would bug me.  Why I didn't think this through before I started knitting I don't know!

Rough and ready colour change using a feature on my phone

I decided to knit a sleeve to test out the new colour order and felt much happier with it.  I also modified the sleeves to have four full chevron striped sections before switching to the yellow, but knitted less ribbing, so the total number of rows is the same.

 

Cue unravelling the front back to the ribbing and reknitting.  I also lengthened the front to have four full chevron sections and then did 10 chevron rows in the yellow.

Apart from that I knitted the front as written.  I knew I would want to alter the neckline - I find most 1940s necklines too high for my taste (and comfort) - but decided to knit it anyway and then hold it against another top (I used this one) to see what changes I would need to make.  So there was more unravelling and reknitting.

 

 Then onto the back...

As written, the pattern looked like this

I knitted the moss stitch section in one piece and widened and lowered the neckline.  I'm all in favour of tops that I can just pull over my head, I don't knit for period authenticity and also I don't want a row of buttons down my back - a faff to do up and no doubt uncomfortable when sitting on any chair and leaning back.

Revised necklines - front on the left, back on the right

So... this took a while to knit because of (a) the reknitting (b) in order to get tension I used 2.75mm needles for the body (the pattern states 3.75mm) I also used smaller needles for the ribbing, and added a few stitches to the width of the ribbing (c) I don't find moss stitch quick to knit and (d) I am knitting a cardigan as well at the moment - usually I only have one garment on the go at a time, but right now I have two.

It also took a few days to sew together and weave in all the ends!

Anyway... it's all finished now and I'm very pleased with how it's turned out.  The pattern is available online here and here.

And now... I have a cardigan to finish and also a dress to sew which I cut out last weekend.  I'm off work now until the week after next so I hope to get both of those finished - although the cardigan may falter a bit if I start cutting out more dresses...