Elizabeth I

This yarn pack contains a minimum of all the Alice Starmore yarn amounts listed in the book for your chosen size.

For further information, please check our PURCHASE INFORMATION page.

Elizabeth I was a famously single woman who ruled England at a time when we can barely imagine what it would have been like to survive, never mind rule a kingdom. She created her public “Gloriana” persona and dressed it in an extreme – and latterly quite grotesque – manner in order to portray her status and position. The private Elizabeth was the other side of the coin. I admired her extraordinary intellect (she spoke six languages) and I was touched by all her hidden doubts and vulnerability. She preferred to dress simply in private and spent as much time as she could in thought and study, and it is for this quiet side of Elizabeth that my design emerged.I worked faint echoes of the fashion of the times into the shaping of the garment, and I created the V-shape of the pattern as a nod to the Corp Pique dress bodices which were so popular during her reign. At the time these bodices became so tight in order to achieve the “Spanish” figure that some women actually died. I had in mind the opposite: a garment of true, feminine elegance that is consummately comfortable to wear. It is also easy to knit.

Alice

The knitted measurements given are of the finished design when it has been knitted with the tension stated in the pattern instructions.

The range of sizes available depends on the individual design. For garments such as pullovers, cardigans, vests and jackets, use the underam measurement to determine the size you require. The underarm measurement is the finished width around the entire garment, measured under the arms. For a garment with a front fastening, such as a cardigan, the finished underarm is given when the front bands are overlapped and the garment is fastened.

To determine which size is required, use the actual chest/bust measurement, which should be measured straight across the back, under the arms and over the fullest part of the chest/bust.

Then add one of the following measurements according to the type of fit you require:

For a close, body-hugging fit add 1 to 3cm to the actual chest/bust measurement.
For a standard fit add 5 to 8cm.
For a loose fit add 9 to 12cm.
For an oversize fit add upwards of 12cm.

The knitted length given for garments is measured from the top of the shoulder to the bottom of the hem.

Please note that all of our yarns are supplied washed and therefore do not require to be washed or fulled after knitting, unless you have an accident. Generally speaking, your garments should not require cleaning/washing any more than a coat would.

All of our designs are made with 100% pure new wool yarns and should be washed either by hand with pure soap in hand hot-water, or in a front loading washing machine which has a specific wool programme using a small amount of non-biological detergent. We do not recommend the use of any fabric softeners or any additives that will remain in the fabric after rinsing.

If hand washing, dissolve a small amount of pure soap flakes – or if using a pure soap bar, grate the required amount – into hand-hot water. Ensure that the soap has thoroughly dissolved before immersing the piece. Use a gentle squeezing motion to wash; do not cause any friction by rubbing or scrubbing as this will cause the fibres to felt. Gently squeeze out the excess soapy water and rinse well in warm water. It is important to remove as much excess water as quickly as possible as the longer moisture is left in wool yarn, the more likely it is to shrink or felt.

The best method for removing water is to spin in a washing machine, but if you prefer to remove the water by hand then gently squeeze the piece to remove the main water load and then lay the piece flat on towels and roll up, squeezing out as much water as possible into the towels. You will have to use several towels and repeat the process to remove as much moisture as you can.

Alternatively, spin to remove the excess water. If using a top loading machine it is important to place the piece in a suitable pillowcase (white cotton is best) so that it does not wrap around the spindle and become distorted. For both top-loading machines and front-loading machines, it is vitally important to remove from the spinner as soon as it has stopped: otherwise the piece can become permanently creased.

In all cases, dry flat on towels away from direct heat/sunlight, and smooth gently into shape. You can place small towels – or even better, cut and finish old towelling into the garment shapes, such as sleeves etc – and place inside the garment so that the two layers are separate. This will greatly help speed up drying process.

For straight, dropped-shoulder pullover styles, a woolly board is an excellent method of drying as the garment is placed on the board and dried to size allowing air to circulate inside. The board can also be used for cardigans in this style so long as you tack the front bands closed using a strong cotton thread, which you then carefully remove once the garment has dried. Glove boards can also be used for gloves which will allow them to dry in perfect shape.