When I saw this pattern, it was love at first sight.
I had been eyeing the Kenzie yarn for a while and like how the yarn has little color variations.
Unfortunately just as I found the pattern my LYS had decided not to carry the yarn any longer. There was not enough in any of the colors left for this sweater.
BUT I hit the jackpot when Julie as in Juliemustknit here on ravelry had two more skeins of the same dye lot in her stash and sold them to me.
Now I am all set to get started
January 26: Finished the sleeves which I worked two at a time. I did increases to 70 sts total per sleeve. Keeping 11 sts on holder for underarm, I now have 59 sts for each sleeve.
For the body I cast on 192 sts.
For a light waist shaping I did the following three times every 12 rows starting after six inches from the cast on:
Place a marker after 96 sts ( 96 sts for front, 96 sts for back).
Decrease row: (k 12, ssk, k to 14 sts before marker, k2tog, k12) twice.
Kn12 rows
Increase row: ( k12, M1L, k to 12 sts before the marker, M1R, k12) twice.
K12 rows and repeat increase row once more ( 188 sts ).
I accidentally knitted the body to 17” ( 1/2 inch longer). I kept measuring and seemed far off from 16 1/2 inches until I measured again and was over. I hope it will look OK because it means that my waist shaping will sit a little lower, but decided to keep this length.
So happy to be joining the body and sleeves. In the first joining round I was tempted to switch to a longer cable, but the decreases bring down the number of stitches quickly to a more manageable number.
When joining the body and sleeves I have 166 sts( which is 188 minus two times 11 for the underarms) plus two times 59 from the sleeves which is a total of 284 sts for my in between size.
For the yoke I work the decrease row every other row eight more times. Total row count is the same and I end up with my target number of 212 sts for the smaller size; narrow shoulders).
2.9.: I got to the point when I switch to smaller needles and start the yoke chart. As much as I want to get going on that, I may take a break from this project until after I get back from vacation.
Working on the Mulberry Cowl made me consider to use Spincycle as a CC in the brioche section.
I put in a lifeline before starting on the yoke chart just in case I don’t like how it looks with the Spincycle and want to take it out.
Hibernating from 2.9.on. Reason: Traveling.
Second reason: Sprained ligament during travel
This turned out to be a major set-back as it is a BROKEN wrist….
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
July 17: It’s time to get back to this. The last thing I had done was put in a lifeline before starting on the brioche chart. I managed three rows today. It is hard to pace myself, but pace myself I must. After three rows I cannot really see yet if it looks ok with the thinner spincycle yarn as cc, but I should be able to tell in a few more days. I am trying to do 2-3 rows each day.
July 18: I already messed up in row 5 on the br4stdec. Thank goodness for the lifeline. I will restart, but practice first with some scrap yarn.
Silly me, now I see what I did wrong. I did a four stitch decrease instead of a four stitch increase!!!
In my practice piece I used the blue Kenzie yarn and I think that looks better than the Spincycle after all. Unfortunately my hand started hurting so I will have to wait until the weekend to restart.
I am pacing myself and this may not be my best work, but I am making progress and I like what I have done so far.
July 28: I knitted, tinked and re-knitted row 28 today.
Yesterday I was working on my Esse Shawl section 9 Bobbles and had to do increases in row 32 by k,Ktbl, k, so when it came to working the br2stinc I worked it the same way instead of k, yo, k. I am not even sure how much it effects the finished look, but prefer to err on the side of caution. I any case, it was an easy row to tink. Now I am back on track.
Just 15 more rows of brioche with decreasing number of stitches.
July 29: I started to worry about fit; trying it on did not give me any reassurance.
I will just have to keep going.
August 1: I finished the neck 3-needle bind off. It feels a little tight and I will re-do it on a larger needle ( a 5 or 6).
August 2: Tinked the bin doff and the row just before the bind off and re-worked both on a US #5 needle. This is MUCH better. Just a few finishing touches which I should get done within the next week.
August 11: Could not find time to bind off before today. Got up at 6 am and got the hem done. At first I did the I-cord bind off facing the RS, but after about 12 sts I decided to reverse and did th e bind off facing the WS. I think it looks slightly better with no MC showing.
August 13: FINISHED.