the Movement Tee
SPRING THINGS & hello from my new (internet) home
Hello! Lily here - I promise it actually is me, not a spammy bot. I’ve migrated my newsletter from Mailchimp to Substack (dull reasons, shan’t elaborate) so the layout has changed and (I think?) my email address may show up differently. I’ve double-checked that migrating was all GDPR compliant and I won’t get in trouble for doing so, but if you’d like to unsubscribe, of course, feel free.
Preamble over, onto more interesting things like STRIPES. Last year’s plain Movement sweater lead to a stripy Movement sweater which OBVIOUSLY lead to a stripy lighter weight tee for 2024. Navy & white stripes? For summer? Who would have thought. I am bold and original in my colour choices, after all.
To be honest I just couldn’t resist knitting up that raglan eyelet detail again - it is beyond satisfying to see the glitchy stripe detail take shape without doing anything groundbreaking to cause it. A happy accident that I should probably claim was a design detail all along.
The Movement Tee is now available via Ravelry, Payhip, and Etsy.
Use code ILIKETOMOVEIT for 10% off (Ravelry & Payhip only) - code expires midnight BST on Friday 17th May.
Movement Tee pattern details
DK weight yarn - I used Sandnes Garn Duo (wool / cotton blend) which is on the thicker side of DK, but testers had great results with a wide variety of yarns. Knits up nice and quick, many testers knit two!
Compound raglan shaping for a smooth fit around the upper body. If you think about it, human body measurements increase a whole lot more from the neck to the shoulders than they do from the shoulders down to the lower chest. So it is only logical that for a relatively slim fitting garment, this should be taken into consideration to avoid excess bunching. I explained this in more detail / with added gestures in my latest YouTube video.
Folded neckband & cuffs for a minimal finish
… but a 1x1 rib hem, because folded hems on loose-ish waistlines don’t look so great. Think hula hoop through the bottom of your t-shirt. Not a good look.
Movement Tee test knitters
Oh how I am obsessed with this rainbow of stripes! (And a few solid ones, obsessed with those too). A wonderful group of people and a wonderful group of knits - thank you all. I take it as quite the compliment that several test knitters made the whole thing twice, back to back - it is nice to know they weren’t sick of me, as I probably would be. What can I say, it’s a great wardrobe staple pattern to add (or omit) stripes however you wish.
Design Details on YouTube
I shared more (lots more) about the design process in my latest podcast episode - I can waffle on a bit but hopefully this shows an insight into the inner workings of a seemingly ‘simple’ top. My Movement Tee features alongside a couple of other patterns that have had a facelift recently - the Feels Right Tee (solid colour update on a 2020 pattern) and Take Turns Tank (allover stripe update on a 2022 pattern). Both had been lingering at the back of my wardrobe / Ravelry store feeling a little unloved, and turns out all they needed was a primary colour refresh (and extensive stripe planning spreadsheet) to feel new again. New in a classic way, if that even makes sense.
Knit City Toronto
As per usual, Last Minute Lily is typing a newsletter when she should be packing, as I have a rather exciting knitting related trip on the agenda. I’m heading to Knit City Toronto this weekend with Anastasia and I couldn’t be more excited! Knitty friends who work in aviation and have conveniently timed layovers come in very handy 🙈
I’ll be heading to Canada via Iceland which obviously means plenty of flight knitting time and I don’t have a single new design on the needles. So that’s excellent. Shall pack an excessive amount of yarn, 10 circular needles but probably not the one I need, my iPad and a few stitch markers and see what I come up with. It wouldn’t be the first (or second, or third) time I’ve started a new design in transit so hopefully my ideas will come to fruition and I won’t return home with less knitting than I started with. Wouldn’t be the first (or second, or third) time that happened either. Stay tuned on Insta stories for what will hopefully be a straightforward design process but will probably involve ripping back a cardigan 3 times.
I have a couple more summer patterns in the work but imagine a trip to cooler climes will put my brain firmly into Autumn mode. Probably not a bad thing.
Happy knitting!
Lily x