if I don't do it now.....
I'll just never blog. I sometimes come up with blog posts in my head, but just never write them down. I guess thinking about it feels 'done' to me. I've also just been slacking, doing some boring stockinette knitting that I'll show later, sneaking in a trip to nyc for a couple of days, and dreading the upcoming warm weather. what I haven't had a chance to do is get a proper photo of my finished 28thirty.
pattern: 28thirty
yarn: debbie bliss pure cashmere, duck egg (04, sometimes "light blue")
needles: 5 mm, 24" and dpn's
buttons: seven from albert zoll
date started: 2.14.08
date finished: 3.12.08
sorry for the lousy pic, but I've been too busy wearing the sweater to bother blocking it (gasp!!). oh and yesterday was about 75 degrees and I started sweating as soon as I put the damn thing on.
let's see what I can remember a month later! I obviously love the finished sweater since it's been a wardrobe staple since binding off, but this doesn't mean it was an error free knit. first things first, I changed the side the button band to match the pattern image instead of the written pattern, changed the buttonholes to k1, ssk, double yo, k2tog, k1, and used mirrored decreases for the shaping. no biggies really. I got into trouble when I started on the sleeves, when I somehow I entered a math black hole.
I worked on one sleeve three different ways. the first time the sleeve was huge even though the body seemed to fit perfectly. so I frogged back and started the sleeve decreases earlier. by the time I got to the elbow I could see that the sleeve was still huge and now had a lovely pouch from the underarm to the elbow. the third time around I frogged the sleeves and part of the body; I had already done less raglan increases than the pattern suggests but I had to remove quite a few more to get both the body and sleeves to fit. I still don't think it's perfect but it works (and I was tired of trying to figure out why I wasn't getting the right measurements even with spot on stitch and row gauge) . once I figured that out, I knit the sleeves on the car ride up to boston and noticed that my little yarn stash was quickly diminishing and I still had the body to finish! thankfully I found two more hanks (their last two!) at knit & needlepoint on newberry st. that matched exactly. I ended up using the second hank to bind off. : (
I think I shed a tear or two when weaving in alllllll those ends. housekeeping was wondering why I wasn't leaving the room (they even called!) while I was sewing the buttons and wondering how many hanks I actually used. I'm going to say at least 18 but probably 20 or 21. want to know a little secret? I didn't weave in the ends in the sleeves. yeah, at that point I just wanted to wear it already! the yarn is super warm and it's soft (as cashmere should be) but I still love the laines du nord I used before more. I found the lnd to be lighter in feel (it has a different type of plying) and a bit softer. I also thought the db cashmere had more guard hairs in it that should've been cleaned out. but, obviously, this hasn't stopped me from constantly wearing this for the last month.
Comments
Love the color, yours is the first one I've seen in Blogland that's made me want to do one...
Posted by: Heather | April 11, 2008 03:11 PM
It looks gorgeous! I'm working on the same sweater but hit a stand-still with the sleeves. They're way too large and I just need to suck it up and start over.
Posted by: Lynn | April 11, 2008 03:38 PM
such a pretty color, and i love the buttons that you picked to match the cardigan. Housekeeping? You were in a hotel while you were trying to seam? LoL..
Posted by: winnie | April 11, 2008 03:49 PM
yours looks great! gorgeous color :)
Posted by: gleek | April 11, 2008 03:55 PM
Wow that sweater looks great and love the color!
Posted by: LizKnits | April 11, 2008 04:20 PM
That is a just beautiful!
Posted by: soknitpicky | April 11, 2008 05:46 PM
i love it too. the color looks great on you.
i really should make one of these.
Posted by: melissa | April 11, 2008 06:26 PM
LAZY! Weave in those ends! ;) How I *heart* that color sooo..
Posted by: yaiAnn | April 11, 2008 07:03 PM
I'm working on the Tree Jacket right now and am having fit issues as well. My gauge isn't spot on, but even if it was... I also noticed that the pattern didn't match the picture either. oh well, it's super cute anyway.
Posted by: pretendingsanity | April 11, 2008 07:05 PM
It's just lovely. That color is perfection. How amazing that must be in cashmere!!
Posted by: Elizabeth | April 11, 2008 07:07 PM
this is really adorable and i love the color with those buttons.
Posted by: maryse | April 11, 2008 08:56 PM
It looks AMAZING! I love the length - it took me by surprise, since I've been drawn to hip/tunic length lately. But this just seems so fresh, lively, and perfect for spring!
Posted by: Hanna | April 12, 2008 12:56 AM
Wow
I love love love your sweater...great job!
Posted by: Robyn | April 12, 2008 05:38 AM
It's beautiful - I really love that color, and the purple buttons. The cashmere must be lovely to wear.
Posted by: lekkercraft | April 12, 2008 08:55 AM
super cute. Love the color. Glad you are making great use out of a wonderful handknit.
Posted by: Peacock Chic | April 12, 2008 10:02 AM
Cool sweater! It really turned out well Yahaira. You know it's good when you wear it all the time and are too busy to stop and blog it!
Posted by: Wanda | April 12, 2008 11:36 AM
love it. It's yummy. And I think that if I had made it, I would have trouble ever wanting to take it off (grin)
I am totally falling on the floor laughing about the wearing it without blocking it.... it's so fun to know that you do that too!
Posted by: Teyani | April 12, 2008 12:23 PM
So glad to hear a rave review for this cardi! I lOOOve the color. Yum.
Posted by: jenna | April 12, 2008 02:11 PM
I love it! Love it! Love it! Absolutely love it! Looks perfect on you xx
Posted by: Annarella | April 12, 2008 03:15 PM
Very very pretty! That cashmere must feel wonderful.
Posted by: Steph | April 14, 2008 07:12 PM
That turned out super-cute! I love the color!
Posted by: michaela | April 15, 2008 04:05 PM
It's wonderful on you! Love the color!
Posted by: tiennie | April 15, 2008 11:47 PM