This WIP update is brought to you by the True Blood Faery sweater. This one has been on the back burner since before Christmas, and I was starting to have a few doubts about it. I’ve gotten the bottom cable done, and am about 4 inches or so into the body of the lower part of the sweater. The whole thing is knit in one piece up to the armholes, then split at that point. So now it’s this big unwieldy mess, and I’m in a morass of stockinette until I hit the lovely cables of the bodice part.
This Faery almost bit the dust this week. I’m sure it was that huge expanse of stocking stitch that got to me, but I started squinting sideways at it sitting over there innocently in its bag, having second thoughts about it. It looks so…huge. The other thing that’s been bugging me is the sleeves. The designer did the initial pattern in smaller sizes, then due to popular demand, sized it up to include 3 larger sizes. That version still isn’t complete, since she hasn’t added the instructions for upsizing the sleeves. I’m pretty sure I can figure that out by using one of the smaller pattern sizes and adding stockinette stitches to make up the difference, but still. It annoys me. So I’ve been putting off getting back at it. Two days ago, on my way home from work, I just figured, OK, I’ll get it out tonight, make a decision. Rip or not, but just do it.
I got home, dragged it out, and got out a coat that fits me that’s roughly the same length and shape, and compared.
It’s a little hard to tell from the photo, but I think it will be perfect.
Back to stocking stitch. I’ll think about those sleeves later.
Definitely lots of stockinette in your future.
Yes, lots of stockinette, but then we’ll be rewarding by loads and loads of cable-y- goodness.
I think the sleeves will be manageable. We’re intelligent women. We’ve knit sweaters before. We can figure this out. I think we can. I think we can. I think we can.
You are a braver soul than I! I felt the same way about a shawl I was making, but I ripped it out and started over with another pattern. Knitting should be FUN, right? I wasn’t having fun with the original pattern. Hope you see all that stockinette stitch come to an end soon…you sure don’t want to rip out from discouragement after all that hard work!
A great looking mindless knit!
I am about to get back to my pre Christmas Japanese sweater, and I am dreading it a little. Same thing – one piece till the armpits. Every row is so LONG. But worse than stockinette, in that it is complicated, so I will have to actually think.
It’s going to look gorgeous – you can do it!
Persevere, my dear. You’ll be glad you did.
When I get to that point, I put on a good movie, and knit on! It’s amazing how much can get done while you’re not really thinking about it. And I’m sure you’ll have the sleeves figured out in no time!
The sleeves are a long way away. And like Jennifer said, We are intelligent women. We have knit sweaters before. We can figure this out.
Hang in there, it’ll be lovely and then I can live vicariously through you and not feel guilty for not having cast on my own FR.
Oh, the color is just gorgeous! It’s going to be a great sweater-someday! By the way, have you ever tried Sweater Wizard for any of your projects? If so, how do you like it?
Perhaps you’ll be in luck, and she’ll have finished the new sleeve calculations before you reach that point!
I loved the stockinette because it kept my hands busy during those hours of sitting with my mom before she passed. But I haven’t gotten back to it since. I have the cable set up row mapped and am ready, but haven’t pushed forward. I did post the sleeve question on Ravelry, but there hasn’t been a response. I, too, figured I’d just be calculating them…I keep watching to see if the pattern gets completed…
That is so pretty you should continue with it. The stockinette part may go faster than you think if you do it while watching TV or listening to an audiobook.
It shouldn’t be hard to size up the sleeves. When you have the body done, you can use it as a reliable “gauge swatch” for the vertical gauge as well as the horizontal gauge and then just adapt the smaller size. Use the small size pattern to get ratios and then see if they work for you. If you have a similar sweater, you can also measure it and use it as a schematic–rather like you’re using the jacket now.
The color’s beautiful and knitting stockinette can be very relaxing if you have a good movie on and a glass of Pinot beside you. Try it!
Back burner? Since before Christmas? In my case you’d have to attach a year to that. Where are those projects of mine? Hmmmmm, maybe they’ve simmered away to nothing.
sounds like it could be the go-to project when it’s martini night (?)
wow. that’ll be a BUNCH of stockinette!! and it will be such a stunning color on you.
It makes for great audio book knitting. As far as slzing the sleeves, I knit the cuffs, grafted them, picked up and knit circularly. That way I could make the lower part as long and as large as I went….