01-05-2022

FINALLY! DONE done. For real done. Lopped off about 2” either side and shortened the arms. After sewing the pieces back together, the chest measures 50” total and the length is 27” (26” if excluding the neck band).

Comfortably oversized but not a blanket! Woohoo!

Very, very, very happy and relieved!

12-27-2019

Unearthed this in a tub after another house move. Purchased deep red bias tape and matching thread to enclose the raw edges and hopefully make this wearable again.

07-21-2013: Still waiting. It’s the skeleton in my closet now and it scares me.

04-01-2013: Gave up on the shrinking/felting and went all Edward Scissorhands on this sweater. Cut approximately 2 inches off each side and cut some off the arms at armhole. Carefully folded, raw edges protected, and waiting (hopefully, not for too long!).

03-31-2013: Attempting to shrink Marina down some so I can wear it more comfortably. Wasn’t aggressive enough and it fuzzed a bit but didn’t shrink.

Finished and blocked yesterday then ‘repurposed’ red buttons (off a shirt I never wore) for Marina today.

Blocked measurements:

Chest- 28” across (56” total circumf.)
Length- 26” (NOT including neck band which is +1.5”)
Sleeve- 20”

Basically, this is roomy and cuddly as all get out. Perfect movie-watching sweater. My daughter calls it a blanket with sleeves. I love it!

In case anyone wondered what would happen if the brighter green in the center of the flower pattern was filled in with a more subdued green- it throws the ‘big picture’ off balance since the red/turquoise centered pattern is bright. I did it. It’s not a big deal for me having some bands different than others but might be for someone else.

Also, if you mess up (again, like me) and grab the brighter green in place of the dark green for a sleeve section… in the semi-dark it doesn’t show. In broad daylight it does. So, it doesn’t bother me for what this sweater will be used for but keep in mind… it IS noticeable and the more you look at it the more it will bother you so if you aren’t too many rows past a color goof… might want to go back and change it.

Yarn: at this size and using the number of skeins I put down below I ran completely out of: Salmon, Deep Aqua, Dogrose, Woodgreen, and Thistle.

Added a pic taken with a flash so the color differences show up. Had to use Indigo in place of Deep Aqua on the band and the difference in greens on the flower band is evident. Can’t hide mistakes using a flash! But Marina was my fairisle 101 class. Next Starmore will hopefully be Henry VIII with NO mistakes.

Running dangerously low on J & S FC54-Thistle as I work down the arms so substituting Jamieson’s 1270-Purple Haze (2 ply Shetland Spindrift) from stash. The purple haze is just a little less brown than the thistle but it’s a decent enough match.

01-09-2009: Sewed and cut steeks.

Marina Notes: Upped the needles to 5’s. Including steeking, the completed body is measuring 26” across and 31” long (unblocked).

FC41(3 skeins)=Deep Aqua,
FC56(2)=Crowberry,
1289(2)=Salmon,
141(2)=Sage,
FC58(2)=Burnt Heather,
135(2)=Indigo,
129(2)=Coral,
FC39(2)=Blue Grass,
58(2)=Dark Green,
FC54(1)=Thistle,
FC62(1)=Green Mist,
1295(1)=Wood Green,
FC6(1)=Dog Rose,
34(1)= Evergreen,
FC43(1)= Corn,
FC61(1)= Blue Mist,
FC51(1)= Mauve Mist,
FC64(1)= Fog,
78(1)= Mushroom,
142(1)= Turquoise,
55(1)= Claret,
48(1)= Bright Turquoise.

02-19-2024

J&S is the forever wool. This sweater has been used indoors and out and washed a few times. It’s hard wearing and looks fabulous. Not too much pilling and easy to shave off.

It’ll be around for decades and I truly believe it’ll even look cooler when it’s a bit moth-eaten 20 years on.