Damask in Progress

I have been knitting a top for myself with the Rowan Damask yarn that I won in the raffle at the Knitting and Crochet Guild AGM weekend in Cardiff.  There are just 6 balls of yarn, and it is quite a summery yarn anyway (viscose, linen and acrylic) so I am making a sleeveless top, though I plan to wear it over a shirt.  I decided to start it straightaway rather than carrying on with the alpaca cardigan I was already knitting, in the hope that I would be able to wear it before the summer is over.  I have nearly finished it, and we might have warm weather still to come, so I am still hoping.

The pattern is loosely based on Wimberry from Lousia Harding's Little Cake book, though I have not done the deep lacy edging at the bottom - I would not have had enough yarn for it.  I have also done the horizontal eyelet bands in a different yarn, partly to eke out the Damask, but also bcause I thought that they would not show up well in random-dyed yarn.  The idea came from the long-sleeved version of Wimberry, where Lousia Harding has used very contrasting colours for the eyelet bands.

For the eyelet bands, I used a ball of Debbie Bliss's Eco-baby cotton yarn in a duck-egg blue that I already had.  I like the effect - the colour tones with the colours of the Damask, while the matt texture gives a nice contrast.

I am knitting it in the round, partly to avoid having too many ends to weave in.  It's been useful to be able to try it on as I go, as well.  I should finish it this week, and then all I need is some warm weather......