Whenever I see someone dressed inappropriately for trail use I laugh to myself just a little inside. I mean, what were they thinking when they put on a skirt, some heels and a hoochie top, and then went for a walk? It’s not like the parks around here have nice level boardwalks or smooth paved lanes. We have dips, hollows, mud puddles, rocks and tree roots all lurking to trip you up. Not to mention nettles and devil’s club, waiting to attack bare flesh. But Sunday, in the name of the blog, I became one of those people not dressed for either the climate or the technicality of trail activities. I could see people laughing inside as I walked by. But it’s all good. I knew I had a purpose. And maybe those other people I used to giggle at did too, though I think that perhaps their purpose was to try to look hot without somehow breaking a leg. To each her own!
Click me for a larger photo
R. Darling was feeling creative....
Pattern: Bell-Sleeved Scoop-Neck Top from Glam Knits by Stefanie Japel (on Ravelry here)
Yarn: 4 hanks of Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri in “Pink Lemonade”
Needles: Size 10.5 – 24″ addi turbos & Knit Picks Harmony interchangeables, size 9 – 24″ KP Harmony Interchangeables & size 7 – 24″ bamboo circulars
Mods: Worked 1 extra repeat of eyelet pattern at bottom edge for added length, worked extra rows of eyelet trim around neckline to lessen depth
New Techniques: Not really, except I’d never knit a sweater with vertical bust shaping before
Time Lapse: March 11, 2009 – June 19, 2009
Comments:
First a note about the yarn. There’s an error in the book. You do not need 9 hanks of yarn to make the smallest size. I used 4 but had purchased 10. Oy. The good thing is, I can knit a whole extra sweater most likely so the small fortune I spent won’t go completely to waste. This yarn is absolutely sinful once it’s knit up, but I didn’t enjoy the process in the least. I would say this is very “technical” yarn. It’s furry, it catches, and I found myself with the tendency to drop stitches or knit two together without even realizing I’d done it. I had to resort to counting stitches on every single row of knitting, to prevent from having to go back and fix mistakes. And forget frogging. It looks like a mess if you attempt to rip it out for any distance. The alternative benefit is that, if you do make a mistake, no one will ever notice.
As for my overall opinion of this sweater, I’m not particularly happy with it. It feels gorgeous to wear and I will probably keep it just because it feels nice. I think the problem is most likely the ease. I tend to like 2-3 inches of negative ease in my sweaters and this has about 1 inch which totally doesn’t work for me. I feel fat in it and it makes me look dumpy. Because it’s so “full” it doesn’t go with anything I own. I admit, I had a clue it might turn out this way but didn’t want to frog back all that expensive yarn knowing it would look like crap afterwards and be possibly useless. If I were to knit it again (and I could since I bought twice as much yarn as necessary) I would use smaller needles to adjust the size and possibly add more shaping. I would probably add even more trim to the neckline as well, or even adjust the depth as I was knitting. It’s just way too indecent and I think a camisole underneath might just spoil the look. On a side note, I think the pictures in the book are highly deceptive. The way the lights are shone on the model, you never see that the back of the sweater is rather loose. The picture makes it look much more fitted than it is in reality. The neckline appears much higher than it turns out to be as well. Just sayin’ in case you think you’d like to make one yourself. Maybe in a different yarn, with less drape, it would turn out differently. I still like the design and the idea of how it should look, just not how my version turned out.
And where would we be without an outtake?
The traditional outtake
Hope your projects are coming along nicely!
July 7, 2009 at 7:32 am
That sweater looks soooooo comfy!!! Nice work!
July 7, 2009 at 7:51 am
Sorry this FO turned out to be disappointing for you. Still, the sweater looks really cozy!
July 7, 2009 at 8:29 am
It is really pretty! I bet they clipped the sweater onto the model so it looked a lot tighter.
July 7, 2009 at 9:06 am
It’s pretty, you are not fat (and you should know that), but if it makes you feel like that, instead of the look you were after, it’s a disappointment. In that case, I would use it at home when I need something soft, warm and comforting while sitting on the sofa doing nothing in particular, to make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside as well as the outside :-) It’s the “gimmeahugsweater”, that’s what it is ;-) Everybody needs one of those!
July 7, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Looking good girl! :)
I really need to work on some of my FO’s so I can get a sweater one of these days.
July 7, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I think it looks really pretty. I especially love the color. Like tinebeest said, it looks like a good sweater for lounging and just feeling good in.
July 7, 2009 at 4:36 pm
The color looks really pretty. The loose fit and super-luxurious yarn makes it look like something you could lounge around in with a long flowing skirt or something. I have this image of women who throw cocktail parties wearing flowing luxurious clothing — but then again, that’s probably not you!:)
Thanks for the tips about the pattern though. I have the book and I will look at it more closely
July 7, 2009 at 9:16 pm
The sweater is beautiful!!!
July 8, 2009 at 8:17 am
Hmmmm. I see what you mean. When I saw the first pics, it looks really pretty, but that last one shows what you mean by *dumpy*. I don’t think you look dumpy, but it’s not as flattering as it could be. Yes if it was a big snugger in the body it would look REALLy pretty. I really like the way the sleeves bell out. Very nice.
As far as the extra yarn, can you return it to the LYS for a store credit? Life’s to short to struggle with yarn. Or maybe sell it on eBay? You wont’ get it all back but it would be something.
July 8, 2009 at 10:13 am
I do love the color, and the IDEA of the sweater…but I see what you are sayin’. Sorry for the disappointment….
Funny how I loved the color of Dahlia, as well, yet it had the same problem for you…not that you look dumpy, just that the sweaters are not as flattering as they ought to be on such a ‘hottie’ (a term used by my 6 year old this week)!
I have a sweater like this, although I did not make it, it is my ’sick’ sweater. I wear it when I have the sniffles or whatnot. Maybe that is the destiny for your sweater…..
July 8, 2009 at 6:31 pm
What a bummer that it didn’t turn out the way you liked! How frustrating. I would definitely see if you can return the yarn… it’s worth a try anyway.
I agree with tinebeest that perhaps it’s just something you throw on at home. Or maybe you know someone that it would fit better?
July 8, 2009 at 6:49 pm
It’s really pretty. I think it’s the season-I can see it as a Fall/Winter sweater layered over something. You might find the perfect underlayer for it and have an “ah-ha” moment.
July 9, 2009 at 11:48 am
Sorry it was a disappointment!!! That is always hard to take when you spend so much time on something – I’ve had a few of those myself and it’s annoying. I agree with one of the other commenters that you should try to take the yarn back or sell it on Ebay or Ravelry. If you don’t enjoy working with it, don’t torture yourself.
July 12, 2009 at 6:25 pm
This is a very pretty sweater. The color is very soft and I really like the pattern at the bottom. I’m really surprised that this is the smallest size and that you used that much fewer skeins compared to the recommended number. Can you imagine it with twice the yarn? I don’t think you should feel bad at all with this. There has to be a few mistakes in that pattern (nothing to do with you!) I hope you had a great weekend!