Some Seaming and Two FOs
Well, my last post did indeed shame me into seaming. All I did last weekend was seam seam seam!
This Phildar bolero (from the Spring Tendances 2006) took forever. Now, I bought the yarn for this simply because it looked like a quick and easy project. Come on, it only takes 4 balls of yarn! The sleeves are teeny-tiny! I was all hyped up. That was in May... Sure enough, I knitted the back and the 2 sleeves (there's no front!) in record time. Then, these pieces just sat around waiting for me to make the band that goes across the sleeves and around the neck then back down the other sleeve. That's a long band, let me tell you. Originally, I thought I'd be more clever than Phildar and pick up stitches for the band. Phildar always wants you to knit the band separately then sew it on. I say what a drag! However, I just could not pick up a sufficient number of stitches, no matter how clever I was. So I gave up and I knitted the band separately. 228 st in K2P2 ribbing... And that wasn't even the tedious part! Sewing each of those 228 stitches took me most of the weekend.
Pattern Specs:
Pattern: Bolero from Phildar's Spring 2006 Tendances
Yarn: 4 balls of Canasta in Amethyste.
But it's worth it, don't you think? It's perfect for keeping your shoulders warm in overly air-conditionned offices.
Then, I seamed the Caban Marine. I'd love to show it here, but it's not quite ready... I still need to knit the fake pocket flaps and sew the buttons. So, uh, maybe next week?
However, it hasn't been all seaming all the time... After I ripped the entire front of the little Phildar cardie, I got the courage to knit it all up again, this time with more stitches. Check it out!
Here's a detail of the neckline lace:
And, one thing you cannot tell from the Phildar pic: the back is entirely ribbed! Well, that certainly takes care of the non-stretchiness of silk. (Actually, I didn't knit it in Phildar silk, I used GGH Mystik, on sale at the Point). The back ribbing ensures that this tank top fits perfectly. Love it!
Project Specs:
Pattern: Phildar Tank Top from the Spring Tendances 2004 (sorry, there's no link! Phildar only has their most recent mags online).
Yarn: 5 balls of GGH Mystik, color 83.
Modifications: Lots. First, my gauge was 28 st per 4", not the recommended 25. I just followed the instructions for one size larger and it turned out fine. Second, the decreases as recommended by Phildar lean in the wrong way. And finally, I wanted the k3p2 ribbing to flow from the front to the back, so I made sure that the front started and ended with k3, and the back started and ended with k2.
I can't wait to see Lisa and Jess' versions of this tank!
