I promised myself that I would end 2005 with fewer WIPs than at the beginning. So, on New Year’s eve, I was seaming up the blue sweater I started in Italy.
I made up the pattern as I went along, using my gauge and Iris’ measurements. The front and back are semi-rectangular, but I bound off an inch at each armhole edge. I also bound off the shoulders with a 3-needle BO for 1/3 of the width on each side, keeping live stitches in the center. Then I knit the neck opening in the round with 2 circulars.
I picked up the sleeve stitches and knit them downward, being careful to pick up a stitch at each side of the BO underarm area and then knitting (or purling) that together with the first sleeve stitch a la Domino Knitting. I decreased the sleeve about every inch. When it was the right length, I did a few rows of garter stitch and BO. I seamed with some baby blue DK wool.
The novelty yarn was stretchy and never gave me the same gauge twice when I tried to measure it. Iris was squirmy and I never got the same measurement twice with her either. But, I averaged the measurments and the photos prove that it worked OK.
I also made a spikey mitered square scarf out of some yarn that slowly changes colors. Here is a closeup of the sweater and scarf textures.
BTW, I have posted some pix of Italy (yarn shop windows!) on my other blog.
