8/20/10

After much ripping and re-starting, finally come to the correct needle size and shirt size that I wanted. Even though I CO 103 (X-small on the pattern instruction) with 4.0mm, the finished size will measure 37” which is exactly what I wanted.

I gotta say Pierrot Yarns are truly of excellent quality! Goodness know how many times I had to restart my knitting just to get the correct sizing, and the Cotton Neat yarn still as beautiful like I had just taken it out of the package. Try doing that with my old yarn stash and the yarn would have look like floor rag by now!

Mods:
Using 4.0mm needle and cast on 86 (X-small size). Finished size will be 37” bust size.
Garter Stitch for 3/4” ending on RS and proceed to work Lace Pattern without dec.

Knitted row 2 & row 10 twice before commencing to row 4 & row 12 respectively.
This should help reduce the eyelet repetition, hence reducing the “too holey problem”

Back:
After arm shaping, lace pattern worked over 64 sts. To continue row 4, K3, lace pattern, K3
To continue row 6, K1, lace pattern, K2
To continue row 12, K7, lace pattern, K7
To continue row 14, K5, lace pattern, K6

Sleeve:
CO 48 following the X-small size without the decrease. Worked in Garter Stitch instead of ribbing.

Collar:
Started placket 5 rows higher instead of at the same time as armhole decrease.

Worked in Garter Stitch with Chain Selvage edge on the out side of placket (the part not sewn to placket on front piece).

Worked collar to 2.5” instead of 5”

8/20/10
Good grief! ARGH! I can’t even yo correctly! Made 2 rows of eyelet without the “eye”! Obviously had to rip back and re-start the Lace Pattern. Will I ever get past this?!! (picture). Thank goodness for the yarn, if not I would have given up this project by now!!!

8/21/10
Finally! Got the Lace Pattern going! Have been in crochet mode for too long. Had forgotten the different ways of yo. It’s probably less confusing and easier to replace the yo with BYF (bring yarn forward) and continue to knit the following st.

8/26/10
This is going at turtle pace! I kept missing my yo on the bottom eye of the diamond, and 12 rows later realized… again NO EYE! Maybe I should stop watching Psych and NCIS when knitting!

8/27/10
After working up 10”, had to bite the bullet and rip out everything! :( Reason being 1)it’s too “holey”, don’t think Mom is gonna wear it :( 2)my craftsmanship is just plain horrific! Uneven stitches.

9/1/10
Finally getting somewhere! Back piece almost done! Followed pattern guide for X-small still, and measurement is in check. Added more mod details.

9/13/10
Front and back pieces done! Now debating if I should proceed the sleeves with eyelet pattern or just plain.

9/15/10
Decided to go with stockinette stitch for the sleeves. Might have couple extra balls of yarn, so will try to a 3/4 sleeves as mom prefer it.

9/22/10
Went into panic mode when knitting the collar and watching the yarn reducing in size while my collar is still at 1”. Went on Pierrot to order more of the Violet Blue only to find it’s out of stock! After chewing up all my nails, I finished using the remaining yarn, and the collar measures 2.5” instead of 5”, which I think looks much better! Phew! Now I have barely enough yarn to seam, so would have to use other comparable yarn to sew. Bottom line, 13 balls would have saved my nails from being chewed!

Tried sewing the sleeves, and find it to be short of 1.5” compared to the back and front piece! Panic mode sets in again… no more nails to chew, end up chewing beef jerky instead. Yum! After a short snack break, came to realize I need to block the sleeves again as I didn’t stretch it as much as the front and back piece.

9/23/10
Sleeves blocked and dried. Matches up with front and back piece now. Will attempt to sew them to body piece. May the force be with me…

9/26/10
Didn’t imagine this day would actually come…finished!!! Sewing the sleeves was an absolute agony which spans over 4 days, hours of sewing, ripping, re-sew. To make matter worse, no more Violet Blue yarn to sew with. Had to use DMC cross stitch thread instead. This actually helps with the sleeves as it eliminate the “wavy” effect on the body piece slightly. Then I had to tame the rest of the “waves” by blocking the heck out of the arm portion on the body piece.

Note to self:
As this is my 1st knit with sleeves, the experience was down right excruciating!! I would not be repeating it anytime time soon! If I do, it probably won’t be this pattern especially not the sleeves, which took this shape making the sewing even more challenging for a first timer. Had I known the shape of the sleeves beforehand, I would have change it to one that looks like an inverted U.

The measurement of the finished shirt is perfect! Bust - 36, Length - 22.5”

Placket could do without button with the mods.