7-Mar

Completed! Finished the ribbing at collar, cuffs and hem. A wool yarn was the right choice for the ribbed areas, the original yarn would not have the bounce-back stretch to make robust yet elastic cuffs, collar or hem edge. Very happy with the completed project.

More on it here: http://string-or-nothing.com/2015/03/08/an-actual-finishe...

6-Mar

Finished front and back entrelac panels, sewed them together at the shoulders, picked up and knit out the side bands. Picking up was again quite easy. The pattern specifies 98 stitches up the front, and another 98 stitches down the back. I picked up 10 stitches per edge triangle and came up with counts of 100 each for front and back. Not a problem. Also, to add a bit of width, I worked my side panels about .75 inch wider than the pattern indicates. That gives me about 3” extra width on the body, total - which will be a perfect fit. Because the sleeves are drop-shoulder, and because being tall, the original measurement for cuff to collar was short for me anyway, it’s also not a problem.

I am now setting in the sleeves and doing the side seams. CAUTION ON THE TAIYO - do NOT use it for seaming. It relies on overtwist for structural integrity, and seaming with it is impossible - it shreds. I am using the Berkshire for all sewing up.

That will be followed by picking up and knitting the collar, cuff and waist ribbing. I have chosen to do that in Valley Yarns Berkshire, in solid black, to add a framing element. Stay tuned…

25-Feb

Decided to make the panel underway the center back panel instead of the center front. It’s done now, along with the first three courses of the (new) center front. Why? Self-Mind-Games. The back is longer than the front. The front will seem like its going faster now that its larger brother is completed. :)

22-Feb

Center front body panel half done. It’s very clear that the recommended needle sizes with my yarn will not produce anything near the gauge desired. Be prepared to go down two or three needle sizes. I am now working the center front entrelac panel on a 4.0mm, and am still coming up with a 14-inch width instead of a 12.5-inch width. In my case this isn’t undesirable because I want to make a piece that’s bigger than the largest size as written. Your mileage may vary, however.

19-Feb

Sleeves complete except for cuff ribbing. I am saving that for last in case I want to use solid black instead of the Noro variegated yarn. Sides of the sleeves went quickly, in seed stitch and the initial picking up to start them was easy - seven side triangles, pick up ten stitches in each to get the needed 70. The join/cast-off is fiddly but not difficult.

If you are shy about the cast-off and join step, and are afraid that you won’t come out even, instead of working as written, use a bit of extra yarn to pick up 70 down the other side of the center strip, then use 3-needle cast-off to bind those 70 to the final row of the seed stitch side panel.

Another approach would be to use a crochet hook to make the join, crocheting the final row of knit stitches to the selvedge edge of the panel. I think I may try this on the body.

Pix posted.

16-Feb

Two center sleeve panels complete. Pix posted.

14-Feb

Using heavier yarn than written. Have gone down a needle size on entrelac to get closer to gauge. Still high, but that’s ok because I am a bit bigger than the measurements of the large. Advise starting this one with the sleeve panels because they are smaller and quicker to rip back if problems are encountered. Hop I have enough yarn, but I note that ribbing and cuffs are done last. Worst case - I get some plain black to finish.