more knitting
Hi all! Here is MORE KNITTING!
1: A boat neck blouse from an early 1960's Bernat pattern book.
Yarn: KnitPicks fingering weight dye-your-own merino wool. (100% Merino Wool - fingering weight)
Needles: size 2 bamboo straights.
Modifications: I had to lengthen it by about four inches, which was pretty easy since there wasn't actually much shaping at all. Oh, and I had to try and pretend that I was not knitting the size 18.
Thoughts: This took _forever_. I've posted some progress shots in here previously (like in june). I'm particularly proud of the finishing. I didn't take pictures specifically of the seams, but it's the best seaming I have ever done. After all the whining about knitting this beast flat and I think the seams give it a nice structure. It's lovley and very nice and soft. I left the color natural. I was dreading actually finishing it because of a significant weight change between starting this and finishing it, but I'm glad it came out the way it did because I think it would have been a tad on the small side otherwise. I'm glad it's such a classic shape. I'd hate to do something on the trendy side in such a tiny yarn. Too much effort for something that would look dated quickly. Vintage patterns are good for that. If it's an old pattern but still looks like a great design... it could be a winner.
2. Chevron Rib Tank by Ann Budd. (opens a .pdf)
Yarn: Classic Elite Provence.
Needles: I don't remember. But it was 5 sts/inch in pattern and blocked.
Modifications: This yarn is a different gauge than the suggested yarn. Appropriate calculations were made. Also, I'm tall, so I added length so as not to expose too much back flesh. With this pattern tummy flesh wasn't the problem.
I also swapped the decrease. The pattern has you k2tog and then ssk. I did this for the first few rows (and I didn't frog but I should have) and I didn't like how those two stitches pulled at each other, so I switched to a slip 2 tog, k1, psso.
Thoughts: This fits me exactly like I think it is supposed to and I LOVE this yarn. However, one of the things about showing it on a dress form is that you don't notice the disconcerting/self conscious feeling of having something pointing at your crotch all day long. There's also a funny gather in the armpits where I think some more decreasing was needed. It also makes me look a _little_ bit pregnant. Part of me wishes it were flat across the bottom and the other part of me thinks it might look even stranger that way. I'm still conflicted. I do have to say that I am absolutely in love with this yarn. In fact, the particular yarn making up that tank has been through a lot with me. I knit my very first garment (the tank from the first SnB book that calls for this yarn) with it. And I wore and washed and abused it. Then I gained weight and it didn't fit me anymore. So I frogged it and knit another tank. And I wore and washed and abused it. Then I lost weight and IT didn't fit me anymore. So I frogged it again and made this. If I can say anythign about this yarn it's that it's durable. Does that look like yarn that has been used and worn in three different garmets? No? I don't think so either.
3. Tivoli tank by Grumperina (note, now it's been improved to the 'picovoli' but this is an older FO from before then)
Yarn: Classic Elite Star
Needles: I think my nylon size 6 circulars, but I could be wrong. I seemed to get the same gauge no matter what size the needles were.
Modifications: length. As always. I'm tall.
Thoughts: I only added two inches or so. I should have added more like four and a half. I did some ribbing, then decided I wanted it longer and switched back to stockinette, then I did ribbing again and bound off. I'm thinking of just picking up and doing the same again. Other than that I LOVE this top. It has great shaping. The natural stretch of this yarn (a cotton/elastic blend) is great for this kind of body hugging shape. Everything is great except the length. Oh... and that soft unmercerized cotton gets stray lint stuck to it easily... and that the constant need to brush lint off of it is worsened by the fact that the top is black. Oh well... that's more the fault of my laziness in the sorting of my laundry. I do "darks" but this needs me to do "blacks" or to handwash.
Also... here's what I figured out for taking pictures of yourself. I have a digital camera and a tripod. I put the tripod in front of the mirror with the camera on it pointing into the room and the view screen facing the mirror. Then I set the timer. I stand in front of the camera and I can look at the reflection of the view screen in the mirror so I'm standig in the right place when the camera takes the picture.
1: A boat neck blouse from an early 1960's Bernat pattern book.
Yarn: KnitPicks fingering weight dye-your-own merino wool. (100% Merino Wool - fingering weight)
Needles: size 2 bamboo straights.
Modifications: I had to lengthen it by about four inches, which was pretty easy since there wasn't actually much shaping at all. Oh, and I had to try and pretend that I was not knitting the size 18.
Thoughts: This took _forever_. I've posted some progress shots in here previously (like in june). I'm particularly proud of the finishing. I didn't take pictures specifically of the seams, but it's the best seaming I have ever done. After all the whining about knitting this beast flat and I think the seams give it a nice structure. It's lovley and very nice and soft. I left the color natural. I was dreading actually finishing it because of a significant weight change between starting this and finishing it, but I'm glad it came out the way it did because I think it would have been a tad on the small side otherwise. I'm glad it's such a classic shape. I'd hate to do something on the trendy side in such a tiny yarn. Too much effort for something that would look dated quickly. Vintage patterns are good for that. If it's an old pattern but still looks like a great design... it could be a winner.
2. Chevron Rib Tank by Ann Budd. (opens a .pdf)
Yarn: Classic Elite Provence.
Needles: I don't remember. But it was 5 sts/inch in pattern and blocked.
Modifications: This yarn is a different gauge than the suggested yarn. Appropriate calculations were made. Also, I'm tall, so I added length so as not to expose too much back flesh. With this pattern tummy flesh wasn't the problem.
I also swapped the decrease. The pattern has you k2tog and then ssk. I did this for the first few rows (and I didn't frog but I should have) and I didn't like how those two stitches pulled at each other, so I switched to a slip 2 tog, k1, psso.
Thoughts: This fits me exactly like I think it is supposed to and I LOVE this yarn. However, one of the things about showing it on a dress form is that you don't notice the disconcerting/self conscious feeling of having something pointing at your crotch all day long. There's also a funny gather in the armpits where I think some more decreasing was needed. It also makes me look a _little_ bit pregnant. Part of me wishes it were flat across the bottom and the other part of me thinks it might look even stranger that way. I'm still conflicted. I do have to say that I am absolutely in love with this yarn. In fact, the particular yarn making up that tank has been through a lot with me. I knit my very first garment (the tank from the first SnB book that calls for this yarn) with it. And I wore and washed and abused it. Then I gained weight and it didn't fit me anymore. So I frogged it and knit another tank. And I wore and washed and abused it. Then I lost weight and IT didn't fit me anymore. So I frogged it again and made this. If I can say anythign about this yarn it's that it's durable. Does that look like yarn that has been used and worn in three different garmets? No? I don't think so either.
3. Tivoli tank by Grumperina (note, now it's been improved to the 'picovoli' but this is an older FO from before then)
Yarn: Classic Elite Star
Needles: I think my nylon size 6 circulars, but I could be wrong. I seemed to get the same gauge no matter what size the needles were.
Modifications: length. As always. I'm tall.
Thoughts: I only added two inches or so. I should have added more like four and a half. I did some ribbing, then decided I wanted it longer and switched back to stockinette, then I did ribbing again and bound off. I'm thinking of just picking up and doing the same again. Other than that I LOVE this top. It has great shaping. The natural stretch of this yarn (a cotton/elastic blend) is great for this kind of body hugging shape. Everything is great except the length. Oh... and that soft unmercerized cotton gets stray lint stuck to it easily... and that the constant need to brush lint off of it is worsened by the fact that the top is black. Oh well... that's more the fault of my laziness in the sorting of my laundry. I do "darks" but this needs me to do "blacks" or to handwash.
Also... here's what I figured out for taking pictures of yourself. I have a digital camera and a tripod. I put the tripod in front of the mirror with the camera on it pointing into the room and the view screen facing the mirror. Then I set the timer. I stand in front of the camera and I can look at the reflection of the view screen in the mirror so I'm standig in the right place when the camera takes the picture.