A while back I got my first Vogue knitting (Spring/Summer 2005) in the mail, and as a brand new knitter (this would have been...May? June?) and I wanted to make a sweater. Sweaters are cool, and I'd crocheted so many things that surely I could knit a sweater, I mean, I didn't need to make a bunch of knit scarves and dumb square hats.

So I picked a sweater I liked (#5). I made a gauge swatch and it was mostly the same as the pattern's gauge. And I took off with my knitting. I didn't even have to buy yarn! Many years ago I convinced my mom to buy 10 balls of Paton's Carolina (now discontinued) to make me a sweater (hey, the sweater pattern is on ebay!), but she didn't get around to it and the yarn showed up in my apartment. Perfect! The yarn worked, and I liked the yarn, because I'd picked it out myself. Yay! Let's get knitting.

Well, first thing I did was make the sleeves because sleeves are small, and not intimidating! You remember the sleeves, back in June(! June, late June it turns out), the ones that could have also been some panties.

Well, eventually I knit the rest of it. Then a while later I did some light blocking. And today, today I seamed the first sweater I knit.

Here's a crappy photo from the magazine. But you get the idea.

So I didn't add the crochet edging. But this view looks okay, right?

So the seams are a little wonky. I can take a class and learn to fix that, right?

And maybe it sits a little high...

Eesh. Actually, it sits unnaturally high. You noted the placement of my navel there in the last two pictures, right? About two inches below the edge of the shirt? Yeah... And the twist in the front, sitting practically between my breasts...

So, in retrospect:
It isn't a bad pattern. Not a great knitter making it, but that's not the pattern's fault. Other things that aren't the pattern's fault, the wearer's chest size. Needs some short rows in the front to have better drape.

Things that are the pattern's fault: the waist. I followed the pattern to a T. Were I to do it again, I'd make it a few inches longer. Maybe 6 inches between waist and hips is enough on that model, but on me (::elevator music while I find a tape measure::) I think I'd need closer to 8 inches.

Another thing that most definetly is not the pattern's fault: the yarn I used. Carolina is the now discontinued 100% acrylic boulce-like yarn Paton's made a long time ago. It's kind of like homespun in looks, except much, much, much thinner. And of course, being two colors (this is the yarn I was working with when the dumbass in my math class asked me if my sweater was going to be blue when I finished it). The yarn the pattern recommended was Karabella Empire Silk -- out of my price range when I was still paying the full amount on my student loans. Silk would have a much better drape, and also be slightly fixable with blocking.

In the end: I'll never wear this sweater out of the house (well, I suppose putting myself in it on the internet is out of the house, but you know what I mean). But some time in the future, I might make it again. With different yarn, lengthening the waist, finding a way to add some short rows in the bust, and changing the shoulders (I hate stepped shoulders. There are better ways!)

posted by Amber @ 10:22 AM

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