Crop Sleeve Raglan

I'm still working on the lace dress, but here is a pic of a finished sweater, it's the #9 Crop Sleeve Raglan by Gayle Bunn from Knit N' Style magazine, August 2005.

#10 Lace Dress Continues to Confound

I have been knitting and frogging and knitting and frogging #10 Lace Dress
by Sandi Prosser from Knit Simple Magazine, Spring/Summer 2010. What is the problem, you might ask? Gauge, that old gotcha. You wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal on an A-line dress, but boy has it caused some serious frayed yarn. You see, my substitute yarn, Universal Yarns Summer Linen that I purchased from Herrschner's, is giving me some funky gauge problems. In stockinette, I get the 21st/4" gauge on #7s. But on Chart #1's horseshoe lace, I ended up with a tent. I figured out that the tent-edness (to coin a word) had two contributing factors: gauge and the size I chose. I had to use #4's to get the 22st/4" gauge listed for the lace pattern, but the bottom width for my usual size was still too much. So, I changed to the smallest size on #4 needles, and I was happy with the bottom hem width. No problem, I'll just figure out how to change needles or add increases after I get to the waist, which is evidently not going to be anytime soon. However, after I finished Chart #1 (2-1/2 repeats) and Chart #2 (5-3/4 repeats), I did a sanity check and held it up to make sure it was going to fit. It did not. Chart #2's gauge ended up being 24sts/4". So, I ripped back to the start of Chart #2, and changed to #5's, which is working nicely. At this rate, I shall have to change to #6's for Chart #3, and #7's for Chart #4, which would leave me just peachy for the stockinette bodice at 21st/4" on #7s. I knew this dress would take awhile, but it's killing my summer knitting and I have yarn on the way for another summer top.

Ah, the stress of incoming yarn!

CeCe and Leaf Yoke Tank

I am so behind in posts, that I am just going to post pictures of the two sweaters that I've finished, CeCe by ChicKnits, and Leaf Yoke Tank from Knit.1 magazine, Spring/Summer 2009.

Leaf Yoke Tank was knit in Pegasus, a yarn I bought from Elann. It's okay, but it arrived darker than what it looked like in the picture. All in all, nice yarn, not something I would have picked had I seen it in person. I'm a little unhappy with the hem, it's folded over and sewn in place, kinda bulky around the hips and takes forever to dry. Tip: when the pattern tells you to mark the row where the hem will be attached, run a lifeline through those stitches so that they're easier to find when you're working on the wrong side.



CeCe will probably be worn to a frazzle, it's loose, comfy, and the yarn, I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby, is very soft and cuddly, although it does pill a bit.



I am now working on a tank/tunic/dress thing that I'm adapting, having trouble meeting both the stockinette gauge and the lace gauge with my chosen yarn. It's called #10 Lace Dress from Knit Simple magazine Spring/Summer 2010.