Pantamonium

I never thought I’d bear a grudge against a pair of pants.

Ever since I knitted my first Tanline Joggers by Briana Luppino three years ago, I’ve been eager to make myself another pair to add to my collection. However, this pants project was plagued with problems.

First, I accidentally twisted my stitches in the round at the beginning of my project, and I didn’t notice for several rows. If you are knitting in the round and you get a twist in your work, your nice tube becomes a Möbius strip, and there’s nothing to be done to remove the twist except to rip it all apart and start over. Because pants aren’t really effective if the waistband looks like this:

This was in the middle of a particularly stressful week as well, so it felt rather personal.

One of the problems I encountered when I made my original Tanline Joggers was with leg length, and unfortunately the issue resurfaced with this pair. I’m not sure if it’s a measurement issue, or if I get too impatient and/or excited to be nearing the end of the project, but once again I ended up with my right pant leg a good inch or two shorter than the left.

Frustrated but undeterred, I undid the cuff and unraveled to the point just above where I decreased for the ribbing, and tried again, using the same indicator for my right leg as I did my left: my ankle tattoo. Once either leg covered the UFO, I knew it was time to start the cuff.

For this project, I wanted to use a hemp blend yarn. Animal fibres keep you warm, while plant fibres keep you cool — so Biscotte Yarn‘s “Granola” base, 70/30 merino and hemp, was like the best of both worlds. I’ve encountered hemp yarns in stores before, but this was my first time actually knitting with it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when my order arrived from Quebec. Plant-based yarn like cotton and linen tends to behave differently than that of wool, often with a stiff and grassy texture. I was pleasantly surprised by the soft and airy quality of the material, and the abundant stretchiness.

That stretch, however, would prove to be another challenge.

You’d think by now I would have learned to gauge swatch, and especially to block said swatch so I know what’ll happen to my finished project, but nOoOOo, I can’t seem to stop myself from living on the edge and just start knitting my project willy-nilly!

If I had swatched, and blocked my swatch, I would have realized how much this yarn could stretch out. My once-fitted cuffs, how joggers are supposed to be, became a much more “flowy” fit after a couple of days on the blocking mat. I’m starting to realize how loosey-goosey a tubular bind-off makes my work. To remedy this, I wove elastic through the bottoms to help the material hold its shape, especially as yarn stretches over time as it is.

And I made my own modification by adding a pocket!

Using smaller needles and a contrast yarn (because I handily lost a game of Yarn Chicken, ran completely out of Biscotte yarn, and didn’t want to wait for another order all the way from Quebec) I picked up stitches for the bottom of the pocket on my thigh and measured the length of my phone, the object most likely to be carried in this pocket. The smaller needles and different yarn would help reduce overstretching, especially against the weight of the phone.

Even though there were seemingly more roadblocks than usual with this project, I am so happy with the final product. The pants are airy and warm at the same time, and so comfortable for lounging.

My first knit with hemp definitely won’t be my last.