Little girls, this seems to say, never stop upon your way. Never trust a stranger-friend; no one knows how it will end. As you’re pretty, so be wise; wolves may lurk in every guise. Now, as then, ‘tis simple truth… Sweetest tongue has sharpest tooth.
I heard that as a teen watching the movie The Company of Wolves for the first time. It is actually taken from one of the earliest versions of Little Red Riding Hood as penned by Charles Perrault. What youngster wasn’t fascinated by Little Red Riding Hood to some degree? And for whom does certain elements of it not carry over into adulthood? The danger and adventure. The consequences.
A few years ago I wanted to do a Red Riding Hood look for Halloween, but I couldn’t find the right cloak for anything, so I promised myself I would make one and I’m just getting around to it this year. Since I’m prototyping for now on and working on other knit projects simultaneously, I will not be Red Riding Hood this year. But I have a head start for next! Note that being a prototype it is unblocked, so it does not look as crisp and perfect as a final garment would.
I started by using the Starboard Cape pattern and Gloss fingering weight yarn from Knit Picks. I really like the shade of red, and I’ll likely use it in the finished piece. The pattern was a very easy knit once I understood the flow of the construction. I tested eyelets but didn’t care for them, so I abandoned that quickly. The moments when I got bored was when I inserted some other colors. When it came to the trim, I added a small detail at the corners of the neck where the closure would go so it would stand out more. If I am sticking with that idea I will need to work on that a bit more as the two side did not come out even.
Prototype Details
Being that I used a fingering weight with merino and silk, it’s has a bit of flutter that works at this length. Any longer and the flutter turns to flounce which is not my style. I like it with the random colors and I find myself thinking of ways to incorporate more than one color in the end result. To be clear, this is not going to be a literal interpretation. The idea is to create my rendition of Little Red Riding Hood who is now a grown woman.
Should I or shouldn’t I go for the hood? What closure do I want at the neck? Do I want to go with a more weighty yarn? And what sort of cake will go with this icing – what else will I wear? There is much to think about.
Until the next update on this project, have a happy and safe Halloween… And don’t stray too far from the path my friend.
Unless you can handle the consequences.
Little Red Riding Hood by Traumfaengerin-Wish (via Deviant Art)