03-04-2016

Swatch finished! I definitely made several mistakes trying to read this chart and after knitting about 15 rows had to tear it out and start again. Even then, you can still see two rows where I misread instructions. Having given the swatch a try knit flat, I’m definitely going to knit this in the round so it will make more sense. It’s a beautiful pattern and I’m eager to cast on!

06-05-2016

Cast on in the round without selvedge stitches, so 120 front, 120 back, 240 total. Knit Chart C in reverse (watch out for Row 9 and knit it intuitively instead of by directions). Increased on Row 1 (last row of hem with 3.5 mm needles) by 1 stitch on each side for a total of 242 stitches before moving back to normal instructions.

For Chart A, because I’m knitting in the round, the 22 boxed stitches will repeat evenly in 242 total stitches, without the necessary framing stitches for the knit flat instructions.

10-08-2016

Finally finished! I thought this project would never end. I worked on it only a little bit in April, hardly at all in May and June, and really only picked it up during some road trips in July and August! This got to go along with me on to Jordan (in my checked luggage, Royal Jordanian does not allow knitting in the cabin). I knit my way up and down the Kings Highway and the Desert Highway. It also got to go with me on a trip from Murcia to Toulouse, knitting my way nearly to Carcassonne! Finally, I knit on it the first day of our move from Spain to Italy, all across the toll roads along the East Coast of Spain and along Southern France. A memorable sweater for sure! Now I’m only two hours from Venice in my new home and I can’t wait to wear it to the city it’s named after!

Some things I’d do differently next time:

1) Not try to get “smart” about moving the chart around to knit in the round. It got off center once I split it up for the armholes, and by the time I realized this it was too late to go back. I don’t think the off centered pattern will be too obvious, but it will annoy me. I could have just shifted where I was at before splitting for the armholes, or have thought this out more before starting.

2) Loosen up on the bind off! I had to go find alternative instructions for this new-to-me bind off, as hers were worded very confusingly. Fortunately, I found some and was able to figure it out. Unfortunately I pulled too tightly and so it is now tight over my head. I loosened up quite a bit on the armholes and they went better.

3) Yarn chicken? I was down to using scraps to finish this off. As my gauge ended up on the small side and yet I still kept to the recommended rows per section, I’m not sure how this happened! Definitely would recommend buying more yardage than called for!

4) Use a longer yarn! So very many ends to weave in, and there were a few knots in the skeins as well. Ugh. At least I had less seaming to do with knitting the body in the round!

5) I was pretty much on gauge. I thought it would be a bit small for the size, but the final, blocked measurements were spot on.