12-08-2018

Realized I needed more yarn if I’m gonna add pockets and a hood, etc. So ordered 4 more skeins. Couldn’t get the same dye lot so I’m alternating skeins.

Started this yesterday on a day off :) 12/7

12-23-2018

I’m combining the Bella + Ginny sweater designs for this.

My gauge:
pre wash/handling: 21 st & 22 rows per 4 in
post wash/handling: 22 st & 28 rows per 4 in

Bella gauge: 19 st & 23 rows per 4 in
Ginny gauge: 20 st & 26 rows per 4 in

Conversion factor for my > Ginny is 1.1

Planning:
Button band will be 20 st on each side like in the Bella sweater. So I will add 40 st on each side of the Ginny body.

Hips: Plan for size 44 1/2 (hip measurement is 42.25 in pattern; my hip is 39 in)

Belly: Size ~36 1/4 (waist measurement is 31.75 in pattern; my waist is 29.5 in)

Chest: Probably also ~36 1/4? (mine is like… 35?)

12-23-2018 HIP DECREASES (30st)

Hips widest row # -- 192 (+ 20 for button band each side, 232)

Belly narrowest row # - 162 (+ 20 for button band each side, 212)

So I will need to decrease 30 stitches from the waist to the midriff.

SIDE DECREASES
Decrease row:
k to 3 st before marker, ssk, k1, sm, k1, k2tog, k to 3 st before marker sm, OWL PATTERN, sm, k to 3 st before marker, ssk, k1, sm, k1, k2tog, k all

Do side decreases every 8th row (every 0.5 inch), 5 times. This will decrease over about 4.5 inches.

BUTT DARTS
Simultaneous to the side decreases, butt darts will need to be put into place next to the owl pattern. First should be 2 rows after first side decrease, then repeat every 4th row, for a total of 5 butt darts.

02-17-2019

Been a while since I added notes here so thought I’d drop in. I’ve reached the point where I need to add the sleeves and am knitting those up. Oof, alternating skeins in the rounds is tough. There’s a very bunched line going up the inner part of each sleeve. I hope it just looks like a seam when all’s said and done. We’ll see. I can always rip them out after it’s over and knit down, although it would be PRETTY NIGHTMAREISH so let’s hope that’s not necessary!

Also I have NO IDEA if this thing is going to fit after washing. Let’s all pray. I am completely trusting my first gauge and my math and I realized 1/2 through I did the gauge on a different brand of size 6s so welp. Again, pray!!!

07-11-2019

Well, apparently I stopped adding notes in February, but the prayers did not work… the bottom of the sweater did not fit. It was much too big… I spent about a month trying to figure out how I could rip out the bottom and knit the lace from the top-down… but I just couldn’t get it to look right, no matter how many iterations I tried….

I ended up finishing out the whole thing, then reknitting a new bottom separately, then ripping out the finished sweater from the bottom to about 5 inches up, then I grafted the two halves together. I tell you what, I do not recommend it! But it did turn out beautifully in the end. I really love it.

I used the Friend of the Forest hood pattern as a guide for how to make a rounded hood, and it also allowed me to continue up the lace pattern all the way to the crown.

I finished grafting last week during July 4, then this week I sewed everything together and added the buttons. I’ll add some pictures of the finished product soon!