Ginkgophyte Tee, Finished

Last year was not a very productive year for me in most units of measurement related to productivity. I knit a few baby gifts, but the only thing I finished for myself was my Ginkgophyte Tee.

The Ginkgophyte Tee

The Ginkgophyte Tee is just one of the projects I fell in love with from Pom Pom Quarterly’s Spring 2019 issue. This is actually the second-and-a-half project I’ve made from this issue. The first being my Water Clover and the half being my still in-progress Davallia. I also have yarn to knit Woodwardia. I am obsessed with this issue. But enough about that, let’s talk about this knitting pattern.

Emily Greene designed this knitted tee with lacy columns of eyelet ribbing that form a ginkgo leaf shape across the body. The ribbing is set against a background of reverse stockinette, with short sleeves and a simple neckline. Also fun fact I learned from this issue, ginkgo plants and ferns are older than dinosaurs.

Despite the fact that it took me EIGHT MONTHS to knit this, it really is a very simple knit. The lace pattern is pretty easy to memorize, and the front and back are knit separately and seamed, making it a good choice for a beginner who’s not sure about circular needles but okay with a little bit of chart reading. The biggest problem for me was having mental energy to focus on knitting, and that was in short supply.

But I perservered! And finally finished this short-sleeved tee in December. So I am practicing layering pieces and love it. Not only did it work nicely over a long-sleeve tee on its own, but it looked great over one of the Adelaide dresses I sewed last year.

I used Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal in the color Teal. This blend of wool and cashmere knits up so soft and light, and I used just under 3 full balls, or around 1200 yards. I knit the 58.25″ size, so it has somewhere between 7 and 8 inches of ease.

Modifications

The biggest modification I made was to the neckline. I dropped it by about 2″, in part because I added about 2″ of length to the body and also because I dislike things being super close to my neck. I also shortened the sleeves a bit, as I didn’t like where they landed on my arms as written.

Overall I greatly enjoyed knitting this pattern. And of course I haven’t finished weaving in the ends. When has that ever stopped me from wearing something I’ve made?

The Details

Cast on: May 1, 2021
Bind off: December 15, 2021
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal (95% wool, 5% cashmere; 416 yds to 100 g) in color Teal, approximately 1200 yds
Size: 58.25″ (pattern goes up to 73.5″, with 6-8″ of ease intended)
Modifications: Lengthened body, dropped neckline, shortened sleeve length