Tuesday Project Roundup: Make Nine #3

The snow day meant I could finish up my third project in the 2018 Make Nine: the Wiksten Oversized Kimono Jacket.

I had some doubts about the pattern–back in 2009 I found Jenny Gordy’s blog, right when she was launching the Wiksten pattern line, and I fangirled hard. I made the Wiksten tank and the Tova top a couple times each but I just…didn’t love them. I had a hell of a time getting the tank not to gape; the tunic always flapped open and never seemed to hang right.

I don’t know if I’ve gotten better at fitting and constructing or if the Wiksten brand has, but I LOVE the fit on this jacket. This is a case when I’m really glad I listened to all the hype on Instagram: It is perfectly slouchy but doesn’t fall off your shoulders; it is dramatically long but doesn’t swallow you up. (I made an XS with a swayback adjustment and a forward shoulder adjustment; I am 5’7″.)

The pattern itself is a free PDF download, but you have to buy Making magazine to get the instructions. I’ll be honest: I had the pattern downloaded and ready to go and thought, “I can wing it without $20 instructions,” but then my better nature prevailed. I got the magazine with part of a gift card to my local yarn store, and I’m glad I did: the construction makes it fully reversible, without bagging a lining. Clever!

About that fully reversible:  I knew I wanted the exterior to be golden tan, like the famous Elizabeth Suzann jackets (I even curved the pocket top on mine because I am a copycat). I got some Kaufman Essex linen-cotton in “Leather” from Fancy Tiger for the exterior, but it was a hair too light for the linen I’d picked up for the lining. So I switched to some IKEA heavy cotton/linen I’d had in my stash for a while.

Now I have a jacket that’s “sophisticated woman of a certain age” on the outside…

And “Swedish art teacher in Hawaii” on the inside.

(Yes, I made Doc take pictures on our snow day. Complete with outfit changes. He’s a good man, that Doc.)