Monday, April 19, 2010 at 8:20PM It's always the bad ones you remember
I've been finishing knitting project after knitting project around here - bam, bam, bam! I would love to get all of my current projects finished by the end of May to see what it feels like to have nothing on the needles (I'm suspecting it's both terrifying and exhilerating. And stressful.). That probably won't happen, but I'd be happy just to get one more thing finished.
Before I show you the good finished knits, I need to show you the bad one. I know I should be proud of all the beautiful things I've made over the past few months, but you always focus on the One That Went Wrong.
And this is very, very wrong.
Beautiful, right? Lovely cables, a smart broken rib on the sides, a pretty nice color. There really isn't a problem with this vest. Until you try to wear it.
IT'S HUGE.
When I started this vest (Wood Hollow Vest by Kirsten Kapur), I knew that it would be worn over a shirt. I didn't want it to be too small and constricting. For some reason, it made sense to pick the size that was 2" larger than my bust. I'm not sure why I thought an undershirt would be 2" thick, but there you go. Also, I neglected to realize that all of that ribbing on the sides would streeeeeeeetch. The neckline is too low, the arm holes are too large, and it's time to rip out the yarn, skein it up and give it a good wash. Then it's back to the stash where it can think about what it's done.
I'll confess: I didn't swatch. The pattern calls for a gauge swatch using all of the cable and rib patterns, which, when you think about it, is the entire width of the sweater. So I just started knitting. I'm going to take some measurements once I unseam everything (I just got a little dizzy there), but I really think my gauge was right. I'm confident that my error was in the size I chose. I probably should have gone 2" smaller than my bust. Someday, I'll remember and understand negative ease.
Also: a vest? Really? I don't wear vests. I wear dresses and t-shirts and jeans with the occasional cardigan. I look horrible in button-down shirts. I guess I want to be the kind of girl who wears a vest, maybe with a skirt and sassy kneesocks and funky glasses. But I got Lasik a few years ago and the only people I know who can pull off that look are my Sims. Future fashion reminder: do not base fashion choices on Sims' wardrobe.
I was really distraught when I finally realized that this vest was a total fail. It wasn't so much that I wanted to wear it - it was more that I would have been able to take all of that yardage out of my stash count. I'm down 2.5% since I started counting (January 2008), and this would have earned me at least another percent. Must. Keep. Knitting.
Reader Comments (2)
Sims really are snazzy dressers.
I totally know what you mean! I did swatch and it was still just too big. And then I went down a size and still too big! Uggghh. But I do have the pattern memorized now :) The cables are beautiful