Garneau Top

About a year ago, I went to the Calgary Fibre Arts Fair, and picked up a skein of Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Superwash Merino yarn in a DK weight both for the joy of swatching it, and in the hope that I would come up with a design to go with it.

After a few swatches, I knew I had found something special, which I now present to you as the Garneau Top.

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission.

I used stockinette stitch and seed stitch in contrast to work a sort of 'texture blocking' instead of 'colour blocking'. Because the two textures reflect light differently, it gives the subtle impression of two very similar-but-different colours being used, while flowing along with the shaping of the top.

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission

The neckline is what I would term a modified boatneck; a boatneck in essence, but made more comfortable to wear with short-rows being used to raise the shoulders slightly. Short-rows are also used in the body of the sweater—as the two stitch patterns have different row-gauges, working the short-rows counterbalances this to make for an evenly worked piece. The top is worked from the bottom-up in the round up to the armholes, then worked flat for the remainder, as are the sleeves, which are then set-in during finishing. The Garneau Top pattern is available for Women's sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X).

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission

I really enjoyed working with Ancient Arts to bring you the Garneau Top, which is named for a neighbourhood in Edmonton that I always enjoyed walking when I attended the University of Alberta. I pictured it as the perfect place to head out for a stroll with the handsome dog that the yarn is named for: Weimeraner.












Now, a word about this brilliant colour, which I loved for the way it presented so many different grays with so much depth:
Weimeraner is one of the several amazing colourways from the Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Woof Collection. When you buy yarn from the Woof Collection , a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Best Friends Animal Society, which benefits stray and abandoned dogs. Now, I'm a dog person, but if you prefer cats to dogs? No problem; the Meow Collection benefits cats, and I think the Garneau Top would look excellent in Blue Persian too. A variety of other colours awaits in Superwash DK; I recommend Semi-solid colours for this pattern.


Buy the Garneau Top Pattern at the following links from:Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts or through Ravelry, and the yarn from Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts.

Photo by Austin Lee for Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts. Used with permission