03-11-2013: This is knitted comfort food. Super soft. I will live in this cardigan until it falls apart.
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Getting 14 st x 18 rows = 4x4 inches on 6.0mm/US 10 circs.

Medium to adjust for gauge difference.

(03-01-13 note: on larger swatch getting closer to average 15st x 18r. Depending on Billow to ‘relax’ a little bit after wash ‘n wear a few times.)

1st skein ran out on last WS row JUST BEFORE the section that begins first neck increases. Attached new ball at back of shoulder so join wouldn’t be as obvious. Single knot, wove in ends diagonally- blending in nicely (easier for me to just weave in as I go instead of waiting until the end).

Beautiful, soft, lightly textured fabric. Already want a second one in ash grey!

NOTE: Picture color is not accurate. Spearmint Billow is much more green than the greyish that is showing.

03-01-2013: Added two extra rows, one extra increase row and one extra purl row, right before separating for sleeves. Deepen the shoulder area just a bit?

Started neck increases (the ones after sleeve separation) on row 1 for medium instead of waiting until row 3. Plan on adjusting buttons up a little higher.

Considering using Shapely Tank method to increase the bust area a little bit. Not wanting a HELLOOOO, DOLLY! look, but don’t want the belly area to pooch out too much due to a… ‘tenting’ effect? Taking notes on what I’m doing as I go.

03-02-13: Added the short rows for bust. Haven’t done this on a sweater before so didn’t think of it angling DOWN on a top-down pattern. Oh well, I think it will be fine. Followed shapely tank pattern but only wrapped on the sides. 6 on each side and did a couple of neck increases as well to keep the V going.

Third skein attached just as I finished up short row shaping.

update: down-angle short rows are OUT. Saggy boob look is so not cool (after thinking about it…is a green cardigan really that cool, anyway?). Tinking back to before the ShR start but still going to add extra neck increases. Also, doing short rows on purl side look different than doing short rows on knit side so won’t be doing that again until I figure out how to make them look the same.

03-04-2013: Knitting through a migraine the last several days and Billow’s softness is definitely much needed fiber therapy. Unless… unless something used in processing the yarn is giving me the migraine- which would suck beyond words. Waist shaping and at some point attached 4th skein unless I misplaced one somewhere.

03-06-2013: 5th skein and on hip increases. Yarn can vary quite a bit between thick and thin (pic).

03-08-2013: Knitting sleeves on two circs. Many firsts on this sweater. =) 5th skein ran out halfway through the bottom bind off row. Ugh. Used up about 3/4 of 6th skein doing the K2P2 neckline/button band rows. Went ahead and attached 7th skein to pick up sleeve stitches so I wouldn’t have to start new skein partway through.

Adore the feel of this cardigan already. Without a doubt, it’s going to be worn more than anything else I’ve ever made.

Had to go back through notes and change which skein I was on. Must have forgotten to take note of one because there are only 5 full plus 1 partial left in the box and one new one attached. Started out with 12.

Definitely going to require blocking. And a second shapely boyfriend in a different color (with a few changes).

After hip shaping only knit 2 or 3 more rows. K2P2 bottom rib, 8 rows instead of 10.

1 sleeves to go. Maybe all 14 decreases won’t be necessary.

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sleeves: 9 decrease sections (1 dec row plus 6 knit rows) then 3 additional knit rows then 1 more decrease row. 10 decreases total. About 68 rows total for the sleeve. 16 rows k2p2 for cuff. Sleeve 18.5 inches from underarm to BO before blocking. 2 full skeins used for sleeves.

Those weird, lumpy corners on the top collar before v-neck are a little bothersome. Hoping they will block out.

Had to attach new yarn at bottom BO, left cuff, and almost right cuff. Argh. Kept thinking it looked like plenty to make it to the end…

Note: Billow is exceptionally easy to untangle when the center-pull balls start to run low and get all mussed up.

03-10-2013: Used almost exactly 8 skeins total. Just maybe 5 yards left of one skein. Handwashed, spun out in washer, partially dried on delicate/low in dryer before laying out to finish. Will attach buttons and do a tiny bit of finish work tomorrow.

Definitely got longer after rinse/spin! Will take final measurements/pics after blocking.

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Damp measurements:

42” chest (with front bands overlapping)

30” long (from back of neck, NOT including the ribbing)

19.5” sleeves (from CO underarm)

After dried more in the dryer, blocked, and worn pretty much nonstop for about 16 hours:

46” chest

29” length (not including ribbing at back of neck)

18” sleeves

(NOTE: their are a few fluff balls here and there that had to be picked off after the wash and dry- but since I really shouldn’t have thrown it in the dryer I’m not too horrified. That said- i WILL continue to throw it in the dryer to par-dry after washing.)

So soft and comfy… but am beginning to think I want it a little smaller. Body and sleeve lengths are great where they fall. And I want to reinforce the elbows somehow- maybe weave in some elastic thread?

Probably will leave this one as-is because it’s so cozy. If I do a second one it will be:

-tighter gauge

-a few inches smaller around (increase sleeve length to compensate)

-fewer hip increases

-knit-in elastic at elbows to avoid the baggy thing

03-16-2013: It’s alive!

It just keeps growing…and growing… sleeves are still fine (not past fingertips!) and extra length is fine but hip shaping obviously super not necessary when it’s sticking out BELOW the hips. Still like this cardi but am thinking about fixing the hip increases.

03-19-2013: Carefully removing button/neck band ribbing where the stitches were picked up on the body so it’s coming off in one piece. Next, will unravel from the bottom up, just past the hip increases (may reknit in one or two but more spread out- not sure). Keeping current total length since it’s fabulous as a long cardigan. VERY easy to undo stitches even though sweater was washed and partly dried in the dryer. Still loving how soft this yarn is, so it’s worth the effort.

03-29-2013: Unraveled up to first hip increase then headed back down again. Knit 7-8 rows and increased another time (just eyeballed it). Added a couple more increases on backside only, not front side, of the underarm increase line (wow, that sounded confusing).

K2P2 hem ribbing with sz 10 needle and added more rows than 1st version (so bottom wouldn’t ‘suck in’ so much).

Picked up fresh button band with sz 9 after unraveling all the original since I want to add one more hole (total of 8 buttons).

Oh! and when I picked up the button band I tried to round out the top corners of the neck a little to (hopefully) avoid those weird lumpy spots on either side. Picked up stitches into the sweater body a little farther at the corners instead of right on the edge.

03-31-2013: Finished! Again! :) Didn’t like the buttonholes I had made in band 2 using a new method tutorial I found online (The Neatest Buttonhole found on Jennifer Dassau’s website). I’m sure I just wasn’t doing it correctly so will try again some other time. Unraveled the button band, again, went back to the BO/CO method in Japel’s pattern.

Wound up with 5 buttonholes with 10 stitches between. Much different than what I had intended!

Big (~ 5” ease!) but balanced and cozy (OMG so cozy) and I freaking LOVE this cardigan. Worth the extra time to redo since I will wear this for its entire life. =)

Final measurements- Chest 46”-Waist 44”-Hip 46”- Sleeves 18”- Back length 30” (28” sans neck ribbing).

Makes me feel a little like Mr. Rogers when I wear it. And a little like Mrs. Doubtfire. Wait…maybe what Mrs. Doubtfire would wear on a date to impress Mr. Rogers? End result: MRS. Rogers?

Like I said before, KNITTED COMFORT FOOD!!! If only I could reach for the cardi instead of a chocolate muffin and latte….

04-01: Took some pics, they are fuzzy but you get the idea.

04-20: After washing a couple of times have a few notes:

1) always wash Billow garments inside out!

2) be prepared to pick off dangly fuzzies as a new hobby (but it’s so soft- it’s worth it)

3) never wash with buttons ‘buttoned’ or they pull things out of shape and you will need to tighten them up again

4) dry most of the way in the dryer on delicate or fluff (low heat) then finish up by air drying. Otherwise it takes foreeeeever.