02/25/2007
Overwhelmed
Thank you all for your wonderful comments on the Bell Sleeve Sweater! It seems that I finished it just in time--I wore it twice and then the Houston weather warmed up, so I don't think I'll be able to wear it again for a while. But the Main Line seems to hold up nicely, and it's very comfortable to wear even with my sensitivity to wool. There is a bit of pilling under the arms and in high-friction areas, but nothing unmanageable.
I finally got out the sewing machine and did a crappy job of lining my Counterpane Pouch, so it's all done!
Yarn: Soy yarn from Stacey, which doesn't seem to be available anymore
Time to knit: January 20 through February 24, 2007 (actual knitting time was much shorter, I just took a while to do the finishing)
Notes: I modified it to be two repeats across and three repeats high. I'm not too proud of my sewing skills, but it works!
I've continued my Project Spectrum themed knits with two gray projects:
Crinkle from Rowan 39 in Cotton Glace
Rene purse, also a Rowan pattern, in Handspun Bulky from http://www.handpaintedyarn.com/ in Polar Morn.
Now to get ready for a symphony concert--my belated Christmas present! Have a great week!
10:30 Posted in Finished Objects, Project Spectrum | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this
02/11/2007
Bell Sleeve Jacket
Yay!
(Don't mind the folded up edging in that last picture.)
Yarn: Knit Picks Main Line, 17 balls in Dusty Lavender
Time to knit: November 18, 2006 to February 6, 2007
Notes: I am very happy with the way that this turned out. The yarn worked well, and I'm pleased with the fit of the sweater. There were a few mistakes in the pattern:
I did not end up with the stated number of stitches for the Left & Right fronts right before the armhole shaping (it says you should have 33, 37, or 41 sts). I ended up with one less stitch, so I increased later on in the armhole shaping. I'm pretty sure this is an issue with the pattern, because if you count the stitches listed in row 89 it does not give you those totals.
And the shoulder shaping for the fronts is weird--p2tog 15 (16, 17) times? That just messes up the ribbing pattern. So I modified that slightly to use a combination of p2tog and k2tog and it looks a little better.
And I made some modifications that I wish I would have thought about earlier so that things would have been a bit neater. But overall they worked out. I left out the bobbles because I thought it was busy enough already. I added length to the upper body so that the cables in the back and the waist shaping actually lined up with my waist. I used the ribbed edging from the sleeves and collar on the bottom of the sweater as well. And I didn't do the belt and instead used snaps and a hook to close the thing (it's crazy that this sweater doesn't call for anything to hold it closed; there's no way the one in the magazine is staying on the model just because of that belt). I extended the front flaps and overlapped them in the front:
Up next, I'll be working on some Rowan patterns. The Rene purse and the cute Crinkle cardigan, both in gray, so they're perfect for Project Spectrum!
16:35 Posted in Finished Objects | Permalink | Comments (30) | Email this
02/05/2007
I'm a Joiner
Apparently Lolly's ideas are having quite an effect on me lately. I hadn't been planning on it, but I just decided to join project spectrum. And my other WIP (you know, aside from the never ending sweater), the Counterpane Pouch from Handknit Holidays, is perfect for the current "Blue" theme:
I changed the number of repeats so that it's a bit taller but not as wide. The yarn is lovely corn or soy something or other (I can't quite remember what it is) from Stacey (BTW, go visit her blog, she's having a contest!). I'm trying to decide on the lining--I was thinking of making a knitted lining with the same yarn but the pattern might not "pop" as well.
Stay tuned for a finished sweater soon! I just need to seam the collar and figure out an appropriate way to keep it closed. :)
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