Notes and modifications

• Had I used the pattern gauge, I would have knit the 44-47” size, which is what I normally wear. However, with the yarn I had I didn’t like the fabric at that gauge and instead knit at 12.5 sts / 4” instead of 14 sts / 4”. Using that gauge, I actually calculated that I should knit the 40-43” size, but once I was at the end of the bodice, I tried it on and found that was still too big - hence the size 36-39”.
• I didn’t like the bulkier look of the garter stitch on the bodice, so I opted for stockinette stitch instead. For the edging, I stuck to the 3 sts of garter that the pattern called for in the lace section. I started with 4 rows of garter stitch at the neckline, and then made sure to switch to garter stitch just between the sleeve stitch markers 4 rows before binding off the sleeves.
• The pattern called for just binding off the sleeves and then joining the front and back stitches by knitting across the next row. But I found that this made the bunching of extra fabric in front of the armpit even worse than usual with raglan sleeves, so instead of knitting the last increase row, I knit that row even and, after binding off the sleeves, cast on those last 8 increase stitches under the arms (4 under each).
• When it came time to do the increases before the lace section, I didn’t increase as many stitches as the pattern called for in the medium (36-39”) size; instead, I only increased to the number of stitches called for in the next size down (small). That meant I had to calculate my own increases, which I did using Ann Budd’s Magic Inc/Dec Formula (PDF link).
• I also did the increases as M1L/M1R instead of kf&b since I was working in stockinette instead of garter, so the increases didn’t show.

1 Jul 13, 1:45am - Cast on! Wasn’t planning on being up at this side of midnight this time around, but the card game we were playing with my visiting parents lasted until after 1 am. So, since I was up anyway… I had to do some math before casting on; after a lot of back and forth my gauge square, I’d settled on my 10 3/4 needles. I could get gauge with the 10 1/2, but I didn’t like the fabric - way too dense and stiff for my taste. But while knitting nice and loose with the 10 3/4 got me a fabric I liked after blocking, it also got me 12.5 sts / 4”, and the pattern gauge is 14 sts / 4”. So I worked up some quick problems on my spreadsheet and determined that at that gauge, if I knit the 40-43” size, I’d get about 45” around the chest, which is exactly what the 44-47” size would be at pattern gauge.

I’ve also decided to make a modification to the pattern - instead of knitting the top in garter stitch, I’m going to do stockinette stitch with a garter border (which will add a bit more room to the top, since my stockinette gauge will be slightly bigger than my garter gauge would have been). It’s a change I made when I knit my FLS and I preferred it; I didn’t do it with my Boheme*Mama and I wish I had. I got 4 rows worked, and then called it a night.

2 Jul 13, 12:47am - Camp Loopy went to Seattle on the 1st! My parents are visiting this week, so the kids and I took them over to Seattle to visit the aquarium and the waterfront. Of course, I took my knitting along in case we had some downtime; there wasn’t much, but I did get some done on the ferry ride home. Of course, I could have gotten some awesome shots of my knitting on the Great Wheel, the biggest ferris wheel in the US - which Lexie and I have been dying to ride and finally managed for the first time - but I was too busy enjoying the view! Meant to go to bed a lot earlier than I did (like, before midnight), but I needed to watch the Wimbledon broadcasts I’d recorded before they were deleted from my DVR…so I got a bit more knitting done. 7 repeats of the increases complete.

13 Jul 13, 12:55 am - Well, I was through the raglan increases and knitting the body. But then I tried it on to see if I’d knit far enough to start the lace. And when I did, my sneaking suspicion that there were problems was confirmed. Although I’m knitting down a size, the top was still too big. Additionally, while most raglan patterns call for casting on stitches under the arms when breaking out the sleeves, this one calls for just binding the sleeve stitches off and then knitting straight across. But the result was extra fabric that bunches up in front of the armpit that I really didn’t like. The last problem was one I created - since I’d switched to stockinette stitch, I’d meant to go back to garter on just the sleeves on the last rows. But I forgot, and the result was a lot of rolling. So, I did a lot of frogging. I’d intended to frog it all, but then most of the way through I happened to glance at the pattern and realized that the next size down started with the same number of stitches. Coulda saved myself some frogging…

18 Jul 13, 1:30 am - I’m finally in the positive as far as progress post frogging - I’ve started the lace pattern. I ended up making some more mods after frogging back to go down to the size medium: first, I decided to increase up to the last increase for that size, and then instead of doing that last increase, I knit straight, split out the sleeves, and then cast on those last 8 increase stitches under the arms instead (4 on each side). The result was much better shaped armholes - a bit on the snug side, but they’ll block bigger. The chest size is now closer to what is shown in the pattern, slightly open in the front.

However, I found that somehow I actually had 8 more stitches that I was supposed to have after binding off the sleeves - I guess I must have miscounted my increases. I figured no problem - since I had to increase to set up the lace, I could just increase 8 fewer stitches.

Or, I could completely rewrite the increase row. The pattern called for doing kfbs for the increases, but I was working the body in stockinette, where that increase would be pretty obvious. Plus, when I looked at the number I was supposed to increase to for the medium size I was now knitting, I really didn’t want the bottom section of the sweater to be that wide. So instead, I used the number of stitches for the small size, and used Ann Budd’s Magic Inc/Dec Formula (note: PDF link) to calculate where to put the increases. Then, instead of kfb, I used M1R/M1L for a much less visible increase. Haven’t yet made it through a full lace repeat, but with 13 days left to finish, I think I might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

30 Jul 13, 9:45 pm - It’s done, and I’m thrilled! I really do like everything about this, and I’ve already worn it twice (once yesterday before I even blocked it and again today). The bottom garter border is a bit thinner than called for in the pattern, because I really wanted to finish it on the drive home Sunday, and I only had what was left of the 5th skein with me. I didn’t think I had enough to do any more rows, so I went to the bind off a bit early. And I did the bind off in the dark! Successfully!

One little oops - I didn’t check the skeins before I started. Really, with 9 skeins (the 6 I thought I’d need and the extra 3 I accidentally ordered), I should have been able to pick 5 that matched, but nope! I managed to pick out the one skein that had lots of lighter colors and used that for my 2nd skein…and didn’t realize what I’d done until I was into the 3rd skein. Ain’t no way I was ripping back all that! Fortunately, I don’t really care for myself, and since it’s for me, it’s all good!