Sew Distracted

Lilac Serenade Finally Finished!

I absolutely love this sweater!

It took me a little longer to get it put together than planned.  It seems there were a couple of errors in the pattern.

The first pattern error I caught right away, while knitting as it was rather obvious.  The instructions had you cast on for the front and then work about half the stitches in K1, P1 rib, the middle section in stockinette  and 5 or 6 stitches in garter stitch.  The diagram and the illustration show the ribbing only going up 7 inches from the bottom before the sweater becomes all stockinette.  But the instructions for the front just say "Work even until piece measures 11 (or more) inches", whereas it should say to discontinue the ribbing after 7 inches and continue in stockinette, except for the button band, until the pieces measures 11 (or whatever) inches.  That correction was on the Tahki/Stacy Charles website.

But there was another error.

On the body of the sweater you do the initial decreases at the armhole, then work even for 2 to 3 inches, depending on size, then begin the garter stitch section at the top of the sweater.

On the sleeves, you do the initial decreases at the bottom of the sleeve cap, then immediately start the garter stitch.  I obviously was not thinking because I blithely knit both sleeves exactly as the directions were written.  Now I did notice that the sleeve caps looked oddly short, but I did not really think about it.

***Mistake***

The short, squat sleeve caps were far too short to fit in the armhole openings of the sweater.  After they were missing 2 to 3 inches of stitches on either side.

In this photo you can see the sleeve cap as originally written on the right and the reknit sleeve cap on the left.  I probably could have altered the shaping a little more elegantly, and I could have done short row shaping at the top rather than binding off.  But for various reasons, I did not.

Big difference.

But it all worked out in the end and I think the sweater is just fabulous.  I even think it would knit it again in another yarn someday.   The ribbed shaping is elegant.  It is easy enough for a beginner, but interesting enough not to be totally boring.  the sections of ribbing or stockinette seem to end just as my attention is beginning to falter.  Although the original was knit using two yarns held together the pattern works out to a gauge of 4 1/2 stitches to the inch in stockinette yielding many possibilities.

Details:

Filatura Di Crosa Spring/Summer 2007

Pattern # 10 Crew Cardigan

Yarn used: Artful Yarns Serenade

Color: 6003 Sunrise, Sunset.

I used about  7 1/2 skeins, or more or less 820 yards for a size 38 bust.

I lengthened the sweater 2 inches to 25" in length dividing that between the ribbed section and the stockinette.  I also did not rib the lower sections of the sleeves as shown in the pattern, although I might do that if and when I make this sweater again.  It is quite possible that I will make it again.

 I think it worked out quite well.  The sweater is still a little snug through the bust, but I am losing weight.  It would not have fit a month ago, so I think the gamble at making a smaller size is going to work out.   For some odd reason the bust, which was the last place I put on weight, is also the last place it is falling off.  Even so, several of my sweaters from last year are a bit lose on me now, and if I weren't so frustrated at having newly knit sweaters no longer fit I wouldn't have taken the gamble at knitting a smaller size.

The bad news is that some of the UFO's are too big and therefore will not be finished.  I also do not think I will rip them out and reknit them, but I could change my mind.  It is also possible that some of the older UFO's now fit again.

Blocking Lilac Serenade

The Serenade cardigan is finally on the blocking board after sitting around for nearly two weeks.  

During the interim I have finished one sleeve and am about half way through the second.  The sleeves seem to be taking a long time, especially considering the body of the sweater went so quickly.  It is all due to attention span and interest though.  I love the sweater.  Now that it is a little cooler, I am even considering wearing it soon, that certainly is helping the progress as well.

I have NOT worked on any other UFOs or other projects although there are plenty lurking in various stages, some which still require a good bit of knitting.  

My concentration just hasn't been up to the other projects, and I might just start something new when this one is done.  Lots of inspiration is rolling in right now as fall magazines and pattern books begin to arrive.

Cardigan Back Done and first up on the UFO pile

I finished the back of the cardigan Saturday night.  I didn't manage to get any knitting done on Sunday, except for the cast on row for the left front.  Tonight is supposed to be movie night if I get my act together and get a few things done and dinner on the table early enough.

I love knitting this cardigan.  I want to plow on ahead and finish as soon as possible.  However, since the pile of unfinished projects is ginormous, and I also want to be able to wear all of those sweaters, I need to do some finishing. 

Now that I have finished the back of this sweater I also have to finish one of the sweaters in the  UFO piles.  The idea is that I will do the finishing before I finish the next piece of this sweater, using the  cardigan as a kind of carrot to encourage me to get something actually finished.

After I finish both of the front pieces, I will once again force myself to finish something else before moving on to the sleeves.  I am not going to be absolutely strict.  I can start knitting the front of Lilac Serenade before  I finish the UFO, for example (did I say tonight was movie night?!?) but I have to finish the UFO before I finish knitting the left front.

It is all about motivation.

The first finishing project will be this pullover I started in February.  I called it dreaming of spring, although at the time it was in anticipation of spring-to-come and now it is in memory of spring-past.  The yarns are colinette and, for those who did not read the sewing blog, I will update all the details when I finish the sweater, which I intend to get started on tonight.

Artful Yarns meets Filatura di Crosa

Although my last project may have been exercise in frustration, I am certainly back on track now.  My current sweater is one of the items I really wanted to be starting when I started working with the Shanghai yarn, and now that I am actually knitting, I am loving this project more and more.

It all started with some Arftul Yarns Serenade in color 6003, Sunrise, Sunset.  I just fell in love with the color of this yarn and bought up all they had at my LYS.  Then I had to find a pattern.  I had an idea in my head, and for once I knew exactly where to look:

Obviously I had the right idea, and I have no idea how I did it because I usually am terrible at remembering where I saw a particular pattern. 

But I was enamored of this cardigan:

Was it the similarity in the colors?  Yes, it does look that way, but as soon as I saw the yarn, I knew I wanted a fitted cardigan with 3/4 sleeves.  This just happened to be the right cardigan. And when I knitted the swatch and got perfect gauge, I knew it was meant to be.

I love, love, love knitting with this yarn.  And I think I will love the sweater as well.  The angora keeps the cotton light and drapey and it just looks beautiful knitted up, light and spongy.

Since I started knitting I have checked Ravelry and have found that quite a few people complain of shedding and piling and I hope that is not the case.  I am getting a bit of fuzz while I knit, but no more than any other wool/alpaca/ blend yarn that is not really tightly spun.  I have other angora sweaters that shed only lightly although I know it is a common complaint.  Well I will see.  Perhaps it doesn't wear well, I won't know until I actually wear it, and just looking at my swatch and the sweater I am knitting I have trouble seeing it.

But then again, I like angora.

I am about half way through the back of the sweater:

If this works out well, and I don't see why it shouldn't, I am already thinking ahead to future versions of this sweater in other yarns/fibers/colors.  The pattern itself is such a classically lovely, simple, elegant shape.  How could I not want a few of them?  But then again,  I may once again be counting my sweaters before they are knit.

I am not one of these knitters that knits something only once.  That would be truly difficult because I am the kind of person who, when I find something I really love, wears it over and over and over and wants it in all available colors.