9-24-2008

I seem to be having gauge issues – I think it’s because I was very nervous about it, and started out knitting much more tightly than usual. I’ve loosened it up, and I’m going to just ignore the fact that the lower part is going to be different, because I don’t think I want to try frogging this yarn. I’ll block it when I get to the underarms, and if I still think it’s a problem, I’ll just deal with it then. The stitch pattern is very easy, and it would be a good SnB project if I didn’t have to deal with the cones.

11-19-2018

It’s officially an FO! Well, except for reinforcing the so-called buttonholes with some stitches (you just force buttonholes through one of the stitches in the fabric). Maybe I’ll get around to doing that. Eventually.I

t’s so lightweight and fun to wear. I like it best just over a tank or camisole, but last night I wore it over a long-sleeved shirt, which is much more practical for our current temperatures.

The yarn (it’s hard to call it that - how about fiber?) is like knitting with confetti streamers, but it’s much stronger than it looks. It was somewhat disappointing that the cone of khaki was filled with knots. I lost count, but it was well over a dozen, and several were only a few feet apart in the skein. I chose to just ignore them rather than try to figure out a way to resplice, since they’re not too noticeable. The purple yarn had a few knots, but probably only 4 or 5.

I purchased this as a kit from my local yarn shop. It’s also available from Habu Textiles, but you would have to call them since it’s not currently on their website. The original pattern was published in Setsuko Torii Hand-Knit Works, which of course is in Japanese. The kit comes with an English translation, though true to the original Japanese style pattern, it’s a bit sparse in directions and there are instructions for only one size. The yardage that came with the kit is quite generous - I only used somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 of it, even though I lengthened it by several inches, so there should be plenty for anyone who needs to make a larger size than the one given (40”). I think the kit may also be sold in a larger size - many of their kits come in size M and L, though I don’t know about this one specifically.

When the fiber is wet, it feels like seaweed - it’s really quite interesting. You can manipulate the size quite a bit with blocking, since when it dries, it keeps whatever shape you put it in when it was wet. I could easily change the width by 4 or 5 inches just by pulling it lengthwise or crosswise when blocking.

The first time I blocked it, it was fine over a camisole, but a bit hard to put on over a long-sleeved shirt, and the neck was a little tight. No problem - I just reblocked it an inch wider in the body, and about 2” wider in the neck. Now the neck is loose enough to even fit over a turtleneck without being snug. For the summer, I can block it thinner when I plan to wear it over a camisole. Hanging it to dry instead of blocking it flat would make it even smaller. It’s like magic.It’s fun to wear, and people who’ve made it said that you need to be prepared for people to touch you. Well, the garment, at least.

Modifications: The pattern is for a crop-style top, which doesn’t suit me, so I added 2.5 repeats to the length (30 rows – about 4.5 inches), and made the collar only half as tall for a funnel neck instead of a turtleneck.