Ravelry: Strickliese's cotton top

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cotton top

Project

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details

details

photos above © Strickliese

Status Finished Happiness with this project: 5 out of 5

Started May 2013

Completed July 2013

cotton top

Project info

Pattern

Top-Down Shell #169 by Sue McCain

Craft

Knitting

Category

Tops → Sleeveless Top

Made for me

Strickliese on ravelry

Needles & yarn

Needle

US 5 - 3.75 mm

Yarn

Cascade Yarns ® Ultra Pima

Stash

62 yards in stash

How much?

2.72 skeins = 598.4 yards (547.2 meters), 272 grams

Colorway

neutral 3718

Dye lot

7112

Color family

Natural/Undyed

Purchased at

The Knitting Garage at Stickle's in Rhinebeck, New York

Notes

7.26 Finished and looking fabulous! (one ounce of yarn left) I did two ridged openwork pattern repeats with one knit row in between for the armhole edging.
7.22. afternoon: Some dark chocolate, soothing music and an hour later I finished my third attempt (see picture) and am happier with the outcome. I do feel like I found my kryptonite. Superman and kryptonite; Strickliese and the 9th row of the Leaf Stitch… there is definitely a parallel! morning: Re-knitted Row 9 keeping my knitting flat to avoid pull and keeping a loose tension. However I may have picked up the loops too loosely. At this point I am not sure if I should just keep going or re-do this section a third time. I probably should have practiced with some scrap yarn to understand how much tension is needed. Perhaps I am over-thinking this; in any case for some reason I am having trouble with the tension on row 9 of the leaf stitch. Looking at others who have knitted this shell I seem to be the only one…
7.17. Attempted to do row 9 on the leaf stitch pattern and undid half the row. This needs practice so the garment does not pucker. Another day when I am less tired and it is not so hot…I did try it on and it looks very GOOD. It will be lovely to wear.
7.12. Took a break from the project, but just started the leaf motif and should be ready to bind off soon (if time allows). Then it’s just the neck and arm edgings. Can’t wait to wear this!
The stitch numbers for the waist shaping were 192 stitches down to 172 stitches up to 200 stitches (208 for the ridged openwork pattern.
6.14. Noticed that the last three inches were knitted more loosely; basically since I started knitting in the round. Frogged that section and re-knitted it tighter.
6.1. Finished the back up to the armholes and started on the front. Nice construction of picking up from the shoulder stitches of the back. There will be absolutely no seaming in this project. I am thinking to do a provisional cast-on if I make this again.
This is a top down construction. Joining the right and left side is much easier using circular needles; no need to use scrap yarn or stitch holders. You just push the back right side over on the cable and start with the back left side. When you are ready to join the pieces they are all there where they need to be. I am planning to do the same with the front pieces, knitting everything on the same cable and have it all there when I start knitting in the round.
I finally decided on this pattern for the yarn I bought last summer. Did a gauge swatch and am torn between using US 5 in XXS (since I am getting 21 sts to 4” instead of the 26 the pattern asks for) until the hips and then change to US 4 in size S (since my gauge is 22.5 sts to 4”) OR I could do everything in US 4 size S. I will probably do the latter since I don’t want it too tightly fitted…and I like the stitch definition on the smaller needles. This is the first time I am using the needle size tags someone gave me for my birthday; they are very handy to use on a gauge swatch to remember which needle size you used.