Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Cleaning the Drawer

No matter how often I clean out my knitting drawer, there's a few projects in there that I just can't seem to do something with.  I was working on Vienne but there were things I didn't like about the pattern.  I've taken it out of the drawer, and down to the basement, but haven't yet unravelled it.  Soon.  Baby steps.  I've got three felted purses (Sophie Bags) that need handles sewn/created.  One of them, I was knitting while I was in labour with Meg...who was born Nov. 2005.  Yeah.  The other biggie in the drawer was "Enchanting" by Fiddle Sticks Knitting.

Oh, I was SO excited to buy this kit.  A designer pattern AND the recommended expensive yarn.  I was worried about having enough yarn, and I managed to find another ball at the Kitchener Waterloo Knitter's Fair, uh.....I just spent 30 minutes scanning through my blog and I can't figure out when I bought it!  I was sure I was working on it while on a trip to Niagara Falls, summer 2008, but my report for KW Fair 2007 doesn't mention it at all.  I don't have the project listed in Ravelry, and it appears I've never even mentioned it on the blog (I was just scanning though, so I suppose I could have missed it).  I know I emailed Fiddle Sticks a couple times about the sizing since I just could decide what size to make since I couldn't seem to match gauge.

Anyway.  I knit it up, and blocked it.  I wasn't happy with the fit, which was probably partially due to the gauge issues and also the sudden weight gain I had in 2009.  I went ahead and did the neckband and sleeve caps.  I wasn't sure at all about the sleeve caps though.  They just looked weird.

I decided, now that I've lost weight, to try it on again, and make a decision.  I am NOT ripping this out, and I don't know who else I could give it to, but I was hopeful for myself.
 Uhhh.  Not what I was hoping.  Then I realized the issue could be the bright white bra.  So I went upstairs, and tried a black one:
 Much better, though a little dark.  And I don't like how you can see my shorts.  I think a beige bra, and/or camisole would help.
 But those sleeve caps!  What's up with those?  There was some gathering at the seam, and they seemed to be set too far back in the armhole.  And just not long enough.  I'm going to just rip them off.
I really like the top, and I think I can wear it now, maybe a few more pounds.  I have 80gr (384m), plus the sleeves (so I didn't need the extra ball), and maybe I can use that to make a shawl of some sort.  I will say though, this yarn (100% silk) has a strange, seaweed smell.

1 comment:

Diana L. Sullivan, CPA said...

I would play around with layering. Try it over a tank (try black?) and try it over some tops with sleeves.

I knitted a very lacy sweater once in red that was only pretty over a red tank. My undies, etc., were just too distracting. You couldn't even see the pretty lace.

I think it's just human nature to be struck by what you can see through it, and if you couldn't see a bunch of details behind it, you'd enjoy the pattern more.