Finally and finished! This has been on my mind since turning the page of that exquisite Vogue Knitting Magazine Issue, way back in the Spring of 2013. Smitten with this Tom Scott beauty and Tom Scott’s designs, in general, I ordered the yarn immediately thinking that the yarn and my working it up was just around the corner. Well, you’ve already heard the saga of the yarn purchase and it is now a year and a half later and I’m just now posting the finished garment. As they say, better late than never.
I do love this piece and glad I stuck to my guns in seeing it to fruition. I tend to fall in love and commit to a project without reading the how-tos and where-fors FIRST to see if the project is actually feasible. Rather, I tend to say to myself, “Whatever it takes…”. So, the first thing I noticed when I actually decided to READ the directions is that the entire piece is knitted in the round. UGH. Most of you probably love that however, I do not. In further reading, I came to realize this is no more than a knitted tube with some ribbing and a neckline. I will admit that if knitting on circular needles is your thing, then this is a snap to make and offers high fashion impact with minimal output. Here are a few tips for those who are less savvy about those round needles (like me):
1. Place those markers when the pattern says to do so. I tend to ignore placing the markers because I find them annoying and always feel I can remember where the start point or end point of a round is. Somehow, after confusion and enough mishap, I have learned to place the markers (PM).
2. Too long a round needle stretches the work; a shorter round needle allows the stitches to slide right along quickly. Have you ever noticed that? Transferring the stitches to the just right length round needle is well worth the time as the knitting goes much faster.
There is one potential glitch in the pattern (unless, of course I was reading it wrong) so here is homage to that point and other helpful tips:
- The neck opening is at the opposite side of the side shaping and bottom slit.
- The “bind off one stitch” begins the neck opening.
- Through the neck-opening rows, you are shaping on either side of the marker that is at the neck opening. Make sure you are at the correct marker.
- Work the side shaping AT THE SAME TIME as you are working the neck opening.
- The schematic shows working in the round with a dotted line and working back and forth with a solid line.
- Knitting in the round (rnd) means you are doing just that, knitting around and knitting in rows means you are knitting forward, purling backwards as if you were knitting with straight needles.
MY ‘DRAPEY’
I did need one extra ball of yarn more than what the pattern called for. I also needed to use 1 size larger needle than recommended for gauge. (I always buy a ball or two extra so no stress, here.) The finished “tube” was exact to measurement and the pattern does have a lovely, thorough schematic that I appreciate and heavily utilized.
I used the long tail cast on for a firm, durable edge as there is draping of the ribbing in wearing and I did NOT bind off the ribbing loosely rather bound off with the same size 7 needle I knitted the piece in creating another great firm edge along the other side.
Here I am on a beautiful Fall day walking the grounds of the Japanese Gardens outside the lovely Buffalo History Museum. We thought the uniqueness of the foliage as well as the white marble and beautiful architecture of the building a perfect back drop for this hand knit.
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