Test knitting of the English pattern of Regal Purple Jacket & Cowl is nearly complete, and I will release the pattern on Ravelry at the end of the month. But first I would like to show you the stunning photos Kim Müller took of the amazing dancer Francesca Golfetto during our photo shoot in September. You have already seen it the setting with Kim, Francesca and my husband in action at Aker Brygge/Wharf in Oslo. Above is the jacket showing the v-neck shaping, garter stitch and rolling stocking stitch neckband, and the short sleeves. It is knitted in the beautiful mercerized 4-ply/fingering cotton yarn called Perle/Pearl from Hifa, see ull, using 3mm/US 2.5, and will be published in Norwegian by Familien in their separate magazine Vårens Strikkebok/Spring Knitting book with Kim’s photos together with 3 other of my designs; Tyrol Jacket, Nora Sweater and Lace Ridge Top. I am very pleased with this, as you can imagine!

Here is the long cowl, knitted in the round in stocking stitch with reverse stocking stitch stripes, where I turned instead of purling several rows at a time and to hide the hole where I turned I made a yarn over which I decreased with the last stitch on the round. The cowl is plain to emphasize the lace pattern on the jacket itself and fits two times around if you want it closer around your neck, see below. As for the lace pattern it does look more complicated than it is, since half the pattern repeat is garter stitch and half of the lace rows are repeated twice within the pattern repeat. I have chosen to end the lace pattern where the shaping begins on around the armholes, neck and on the sleeve cap since I find it hard to keep the stitch count in lace otherwise. But you are very welcome to adjust the pattern to your own preference. The English pattern comes with instructions with optional 3/4 and long sleeves while the Norwegian one in Strikkeboka only has the short sleeves since they are the only ones photographed. And it will not be long until you can see the test knitted versions linked to the pattern on Ravelry, but in the mean time I hope you are enjoying this før-jul/pre-Christmas time!