FO: Michael Kors Cabled Tunic

Woo hoo! I finished the Michael Kors Cabled Tunic, didn't run out of yarn, the darn thing actually fits, and I am a happy camper!

Modifications made:

• Used Elizabeth Zimmermann's technique for rounding the squared-off bindoff edges of a neckline (dec last stitch on previous row before bindoff then bindoff one less on the bindoff row, it rounds out the square "jog" from one bindoff row to the next).


• Fudged the recommended number of stitches for the cowl to let the twisted knit stitches line up with the knit stitches of the ribbing (probably more trouble than it was worth since the cowl hides it, anyway. But I know it's there. :)



• Used recommended needle size for first 4" of cowl neck, then increased one needle size to 5", another to 5.75", another until the 6-1/2" were reached. This increases the ending diameter of the neckline so that it has room to fold over without being tight. My neck rolls over nicely and doesn't try to crawl back up.

Caston the CPH last weekend during a soccer tournament in Kansas City. Finished most of the back during the 5 hours up and back. Now that's quality knitting time! :)

Yikes - I am running low on yarn!

Oh, this is just getting better. Okay, I KNOW I bought two extra balls for the Michael Kors Cabled Tunic. KNOW it, because I was substituting yarn, although the yarn was the exact same weight and knit to the correct gauge on the same size needles as the original yarn. Now I'm coming to the end of one ball for each sleeve, I'm about 65% done with the sleeves, and I have four balls of yarn left. I'm estimating that the collar will take two, so that leaves two balls to finish the sleeves. And I'm not done increasing on the sleeves yet. Sigh. I guess I'll just see how far I get before going to the trouble of contacting Webs to see if they still have the same dye lot that they sold me SIX MONTHS AGO!!!!! Argh. Maybe I can make up the sweater with a different white yarn.

Why does running out of yarn make you knit faster, like you're trying to outrun the end of the ball and beat it to the finish line?

Sleeve Slipup - Michael Kors Cabled Tunic

So I've started the sleeves for the never-ending OH MY GOSH I AM SICK OF THIS Michael Kors cabled tunic. Zipped through the twisted-stitch ribbing. Sailed through the WS chart setup row like the old, weary pro at this that I now am. Knitted along the beginning of the first diamond -- hold it, what the heck is going on?!?! Tink back to beginning of row, turn over to the previous row. Yes, yes, yes, all there. Oh no, there must be more errata for the sleeve that I've missed. Surf to Vogue Knitting Magazine errata . Nope, nothing there. It must be me. After checking and checking, nope. The directions are wrong. However, all those twisted stitches are murder to frog, so I fixed mine by doing a m1 purlwise before the start of the diamond, change the first crossed stitch from a purl back to the twisted-knit that it should have been, finished the diamond, then p2tog right after the diamonds to keep the count straight, then repeat for the next set of diamonds.

Body of Tunic


It worked, and now the diamonds gracefully extend up from the ribbing rather than abruptly starting from nowwhere one stitch over. Yay me! A year ago I would have blindly followed the pattern without thinking it through and then been unhappy after making up the sweater when I noticed that the sleeve cuffs didn't mimic the lower hem treatment.