I finally finished my loon sweater.
Pattern: Bernat "ewe can knit" pamphlet #1806, (I made the adult version of the pattern)
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Chunky, yellow is Lion Brand Chunky USA
Needles: size 9
I started this one years ago and then set it aside. I recently pulled it out and finished it. It was, when I started it, my first use of different colors and is the first time I've done duplicate stitch. The yarn is mostly acrylic with a little wool and it felt quite stiff until I washed it. After washing the sweater became surprisingly soft. I was a little worried about the style of the sleeves being uncomfortable (as if I'm actually going to wear this much) anyways, since it has a straight armhole and straight sleeve edge. But it turned out to be quite comfortable.
I ran into another problem with my bell sleeve jacket. I did the back before the left front, the order that it is in the pattern. The problem was that the the number of rows in the body of the back up to the armhole shaping is based on measuring the length. Ok, that's fine, I keep track of my number of rows and place in the pattern by putting a tick mark on a post it note. I finished the back and then did the left front. The left front length to the armhole shaping is dictated by the pattern. There is no, knit even for a certain length. So, when I finished, I had 10 more rows in the left front before the armhole shaping than I did for the back. So, it wouldn't be possible to match the two up correctly for seaming. So, I had to rip out almost half of the back to the armhole shaping (about 60 row or so), add the 10 extra rows, then continue with the armhole shaping and on to the end. I finished up the reknitting today. At this point I've got a sleeve, the back and left front done.
Seaming together my apricot jacket took a few days. I seamed one armhole the way all of the books say. With the other armhole I kind of did a little variation on that to create a less bulky seam. Now that it's done, the by the books seam feels bulky and my modification type seam is much more comfortable. They both look good, it's just the comfort factor. I almost undid the one side in order to reseam it but that would have meant a whole lot of effort to undo the whole side up and around the armhole. I just didn't have it in me and ultimately decided to leave it as is.
I was also worried the sleeves were too long and decided to shorten them. After spending about a half hour unraveling the cast on edge of the first sleeve (because it is the cast on edge, due to the direction of the knitting you can't just pull and have it unravel, its more like undoing knots where each stitch is a knot) I decided to just bind back off using the sewn bind off to match the other sleeve's cast on edge and learn to accept them as they were. I didn't have the courage to cut them shorter with scissors and reknit the edge like I have with past projects so if the length bothers me while wearing it I'll just roll the sleeve edges back and have a sort of cuff.
The buttons and button loops were a challange also. At first I had attatched all of the buttons with one strand of yarn woven from one to the next. Then I decided it would be better if each button was attached with it's own strand of yarn knotted behind each. That way the buttons couldn't pull out and stretch out the strand they were attached to (and the knot behind them would give them a little extra support). Then getting the corresponding button loops spaced evenly and in the correct corresponding spots was difficult. I had to do, undo, redo, undo, redo etc. I finally got it all done though and it looks pretty good. I didn't do the crochet edging like the pattern called for. I only just did separate crochet button loops attached right to the knitted edge.
I got a peak at the cover of the upcoming issue of Vogue Knitting. There is really nice cardigan on the front that I've added to the top of my knits to knit list. The most recent Berroco Knit Bits has a picture of another knit from this upcoming issue of Vogue. I wish Vogue would update their web site to this issue so we can see their "sneak peak" section for it. I'm anxious to get my hands on this issue.
I've been working on the Vogue Bell Sleeve Jacket. I've got the back done and most of the left front. I changed the bottom edge on the back and front so that it is like the sleeve edge. Problem was that I didn't realize for the front the way the pattern is written you cast on 5 stitches part way up to create a flap. Then, when you do the finishing you pick up stitches at the lower edge and around the front part way up and knit a garter stitch edge band to meet the lower edge of this "flap". I changed the lower edge and am not going to have this garter stitch wrap up the front lower edge. I didn't realize that I'd have to compensate for these 5 missing stitches until I got to the row where you cast them on. So, I had to start over, casting on these 5 edge stitches right at the beginning, then of course not casting any on at the part where it tells you to. Also, I found there is an error in the pattern at row 63 and 65 for the left front. This error is not posted at Vogue's corrections page. If you follow the pattern your stitch count gets thrown off. I figured out the correction for this though and it looks good.
I've also started seaming together my apricot jacket pieces. I sure don't like the seaming process. I wish more patterns were written to be knit in the round, with picked up sleeves knit from the shoulder down in order to eliminate so much seaming. I'm pretty slow at the seaming, so it will be awhile before it is done. I also still need to get buttons for it.
Pattern: Bernat "ewe can knit" pamphlet #1806, (I made the adult version of the pattern)
