Gathered Pullover is done!

Well, after many adjustments and modifications, the lovely Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool has become the Gathered Pullover.

Tons of mods on this one. In fact, the only part of the Gathered Pullover pattern used is the motif itself. Those of you who’ve read this blog for a while know that I have ‘fitting’ problems - I’m several sizes larger on the bottom than I am up top, so standard patterns just don’t fit (and it’s not just a simple ‘add in more waist shaping’ solution). Which is why I knit exclusively top down - makes for much easier fitting and adjustments (and, no seaming!).

So here are the mods:

• Used Stephanie Japel’s Easy V-neck pattern to cast on for the top-down construction.
• Used the cable motif from the Gathered Pullover pattern and placed it a few inches lower than indicated in the pattern - busty gals don’t need that motif square in the middle of the rack! Placing the motif slightly lower will also create some waist shaping just by virtue of the gathered nature of the cables. I also eliminated the sets of increases/decreases on either side of the motif - I don’t see the need for them anyway and they cause unsightly holes in the yarn.
• I don’t need any added bulk around the hips so I eliminated the folded hem called for in the Gathered Pullover pattern and simply did a long 2×2 rib (to mimic the motif) edging. I used larger needles so the rib would lie open and not pull in.
• Likewise, used loose ribbing on the sleeves instead of the rolled edge from the pattern.
• Did tons of waist shaping to allow for a nice open drape at the hip.
• Didn’t do the rolled edge around the neck - just did a single crochet edging for some stability.

And I’m totally happy with how it turned out (for a change!)

So what’s next? Have been trolling Ravelry but nothing captures my fancy yet - maybe the Lotus Blossom tank from Interweave…

Have a great week folks!

Inching closer…

I’m one sleeve closer to a finished Gathered Pullover. Lots of mods on this one, and unfortunately the fit is still a little off, so I’m already planning what to do about it - it may involve a dryer and a sewing machine. You’ll see when I post the FO - maybe this weekend!

Maybe the third time is the charm?

So, I ripped the Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan. Again. Even after a good blocking the edges were still floppy. And now the yarn is becoming the Gathered Pullover.

I’m modding it to be top-down because fitting is just a nightmare for me. I want ultimate control and no seaming in my projects. Shouldn’t be to hard - the cable motif should still work being created upside down. We’ll see!

Misgivings.

Hey guys - thanks for the sympathies on the grilling I received. I’m still peeling!

So, have you ever had misgivings about something you’ve been knitting, even close to the end of the project? I’ve been having misgivings abut this Not So Shrunken Cardigan. I’ve always thought the neckline/collar looked a little floppy, and now that I’ve got mine almost done, it’s been confirmed. I’m not a fan of how this neck edge curls in:

I don’t wear my cardigans buttoned all the way up. I usually only have one or two buttons done up, like I am showing here. I only have one button band attached, but I don’t see it looking much different than what is showing here. Likewise, I don’t have the neck edge attached either, but it’s only a few rows of stockinette, so it won’t make any difference. I suppose I could reinforce the button band and neck edge with some ribbon, but I doubt I’ll feel the love.

This Silky Wool yarn is lovely though. I believe it would rather be the Gathered Pullover, so I may rip this and start that instead. The modelled shot is OK, but there are many lovelier versions over on Ravelry.

In the meantime, I have a new obsession:

It’s the 365 Self Portrait knit group over on Flickr. I’ve been following the 365s of several knit bloggers over the last little while, and have been introduced to new bloggers as well through the comments. Because the 365s are daily posts, you get to ‘know’ the bloggers better than through their blogs, which might not be updated regularly. The 365s are a bit more intimate than the blogs because you see these folks on a daily basis and touch base with them through the comments. It’s a lot of fun, and after being inspired by the photography I’ve seen, I’m giving it a whirl too. 

I tried a 365 last year, but quickly ran out of inspiration. But it wasn’t the self portrait challenge though - this one is a little different. It’s a diary of sorts, and I’m really enjoying being part of this fun and caring group of people!

Mission: Accomplished.

Well, I wanted sun, surf, sand and rest. And I got it. I feel human again. It might just be psychological, but I don’t care: that one week in the sun does me so much good.

 

 

 
Like last year, there’s not much to report. Just tons of sleep, loafing (which is different than sleeping, you know) and reading. There was knitting, but damn it, I’m not meant to have knitted socks. This was my third try and that’s it - three strikes, yer out! I have ‘hard to fit’ ankles (let’s just call them, um, voluptuous) so a standard sock pattern just doesn’t fit. I cast on 6 (yes, six) times with different measurements (tried to find the perfect number that would keep the socks snug but not stretch out the ribbing), even tried decreasing down to keep the sock non-droopy around the ankle, but the decreases looked weird within the ribbing. On the seventh try, I said screw it, I’ll knit straight down and deal with the droopiness later. I knit about 7 inches and began the heel, and decided my legs looked like tree trunks. So screw it. This lovely yarn will become mitts of some sort.

 

Also like last year, I was super careful about the sun exposure (my fair Irish/Scottish skin doesn’t hold up well!) - I don’t want to waste a minute of my short vacation in any kind of discomfort! So, only 15 minutes in the sun at a time, then duck under an umbrella…

 

 

Re-apply the sunscreen often. I mean look at us - we’re so pasty:

 

And this is after 6 days! So on our last day, I ventured out from under the umbrella for a final walk in the surf and the wind… ahhh…

 

 

And want to know what I got for it? This:

 

 

Nice, eh? And this was after only 15 minutes! And yes, I slathered on the sunscreen before I went. Sigh.

 

Anyway, back to reality and work tomorrow. All itchy and swollen and burny and walking funny because my feet are burnt - wow, transit should be a blast.