Saturday, May 10, 2008

yay! i finished something!

for starters, this sweater was a cinch to knit ... for two reasons 1) the gauge is rather large, and 2) the only shaping is the raglan decreases.

i am a fan of raglans because i feel the fit does not have to be so exact. there isn't a defined shoulder line. a set in sleeve, on the other hand, screams look at me ! if it's off by a wee bit.


my favorite feature of this sweater is the neckline. it is somewhat boatneck, which can be a shape that stretches and grows. but, this neckline has three layers of reinforcement. first is the knitted bindoff. then, a round of single crochet, and then a round of reverse single crochet (a.k.a. crab stitch). it makes a lovely feminine edge, that to me, doesn't even really look like crochet.


another knitterly tip: this sweater is knitted in 4 pieces. the instructions say to keep the stitches "live" vs. binding off. then, sew the raglans together, then join together knitting one last round.

i kept the stitches live, then joined them by doing a k2tog at the beginning of each piece, and a ssk at the end. this eliminated the 1 st. in pattern that would be part of the seam. it is flawless.


and i did wear black dianna to work today. she was cool & comfortable!
i like her very much. and i like to think of her in terms of variations. perhaps she will come around again in a different yarn, or different length sleeves? perhaps i should not get too excited and jump on some bandwagon i will fall off of in due time ..... ?!

nevertheless ...

pattern : pacific view pullover by tahki stacy charles (free pattern download)
yarn: adrienne vittadini's dianna, 8 balls
needles: kp's harmony size 8.


regarding the yarn: this was stash yarn, which i still have 2 balls left. after one day of wearing, it is pilly under the arms. this yarn is easy to knit with. but, now i have doubts to its wear. just sayin' ....

7 comments:

turtlegirl76 said...

It looks great on you! Hopefully the wear will prove out in the end. Just let it be washed a few times and then pass judgment. I will cross my fingers for you. It's fantastic!

Stacey said...

Looks good! I'm a huge raglan fan also....

f. pea said...

fabulous! i think it would be great in linen, too... hm, maybe i should give this pattern a try. it looks terrific on you!

Jenna said...

Congrats, it looks great! It's really a classic top that can be worn in a variety of ways.

You're right, the edging looks more like a knitted picot hem then crochet. I like it, I may have to steal the idea from you.

PĂ©itseoga said...

i like boatneck... i thought the edge was picot, too! crab stitch you say?

Anonymous said...

LOVE the top! Black is such a good color choice, too! Thanks for the pattern link.
Ang

Lisa Carney said...

This is really nice! I'm putting this one on my list-