I told myself I would blog tonight and look at me...determination is a strong thing. I am off to bed soon because I worked 12 hours today and tomorrow will be the same, so this kind of makes up for the fact that I didn't knit today. I feel awful. Isn't it strange how Catholicism can make you feel guilty over any and everything?? Even when I've decided to convert to Judaism. Father would be proud, I'm sure.
I knit all the chart panels to finish the body. I didn't have to, but I was not about to stop 3 rows into a 9 row pattern. I needed the completion. So look at this fine steek I have:
After consulting the knitting world's Steek Goddess, it looks like I should have knit a checkerboard pattern instead of the stripes because I had an even number of steek stitches. But it was easier to keep track of which stitch to crochet steek, and for a steeking virgin, that's was a good thing because frankly, I was following Eunny blind.
But look, I did it! I think I did a good job too..how about that. And from sleeve holes, to a sleeve. It was a bitch picking up 184 stitches. I think I was supposed to pick up less, but I made the armholes bigger by completing all the pattern panels.
The instructions didn't say how to pick them up and I couldn't find anyone in blogland that's made this sweater and explained how they did it, so I ended up picking up a stitch for every row.
I would pull out the camera again and take a close up picture, but I don't know how to not import all my pictures from the camera every stinkin' time I take a new picture. But if you click on the picture above, you make be able to see how it "strains" because I picked up stitches around the entire edge stitch. On the next sleeve, I'll try picking them up through the stitch instead of around the whole thing. Maybe that would give it a better look.
Okay, now for the decreases...you know I really should pull out that camera, huh? But I need to get this off my chest before I forget. The instructions say to:
decrease at the beginning and end of the decrease round AND to not worry about the pattern, just start from the beginning every time.
Okay, read that again.
I know, that makes no sense. The patterns build on themselves. If I decrease at the beginning and end of the round and keep beginning each round at the starting point on the chart, all fair isle hell will break loose. So, I've meticulously charted out where to start at every new decrease, and it's a royal pain in my ass. But I admit it's really, really nice knitting with 180+ and going down in size than the 300-something stitches I was working with for the body.
And speaking of the body, this thing is fucking huge. Alright off to bed before I really start telling you what I think.
Looking AWESOME! I'm still a bit behind you, but just passed 2/3 of the way through the body.
Posted by: trillian42 | February 22, 2007 at 06:58 AM
That looks simply AMAZING!
Posted by: Karen | February 22, 2007 at 09:25 AM
It is wonderful!!
Posted by: Stacie | February 22, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Well, we Jews are good at guilt, too!
Brave you to steek and cut. It is looking gorgeous.
Posted by: Valerie in San Diego | February 22, 2007 at 08:32 PM
Beautiful!
I had to read the instructions three times, and it still sounds ridiculous.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 22, 2007 at 08:44 PM
That's looking fantastic! It'll be a masterpiece when it's finished.
Posted by: Tipper | February 23, 2007 at 08:18 PM
Wow! I'm so glad you've pulled this thing out again. It's looking fabulous. And it's nice to see the crochet method of steeking works just fine since I don't have a sewing machine. Someday, I'll be steeking something I'm sure.
Posted by: turtlegirl76 | February 25, 2007 at 08:29 AM
I know this is way late, and I'm sure you've finished the sweater by now, but I've been looking through the printed pattern (I'm the designer) and I can't see where your quote comes from)(that just means I'm not seeing it, I'm sure it's there). I do know what it should say though: start each separate border motif at the beginning of the repeat on your first row of the border(not each row within the border motif) as you knit the sleeve- all of the repeats were pretty short, so it would be easier to mark each one for the decreases than to mark the chart for the entire sleeve. And then at the beginning of the next border motif, begin the first row at the beginning of the pattern repeat and continue decreasing the same way. So sorry for the confusion, I'm so glad you figured out what to do on your own.
Your sweater looks beautiful.
Posted by: Kathleen | September 09, 2007 at 03:41 PM