Sunday, April 20, 2008
She has been all done since last Sunday (some of you even noticed in my Ravelry projects and already favorite it! THX!)
but I finally got my very own 'Nigel' (tee hee) to take some pics of me in it (b/c after all I am A.merica's N.ext T.op K.nitter! Haha!)! ;op
~ Project Details ~
Pattern: You may recall me saying last Sunday that this is the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet that I did as a spring KAL with my knitting group Charlotte Purls.
I had been wanting to do this pattern (along with the masses) for awhile now and got it on my sticks by engineering the KAL. Y'all know I luv me some KALs to keep me motivated ;op Haha!
Size: See that's the thing about raglan knits; you keep increasing until it custom fits you!
Time: Flew off the needle faster than I thought! You know I was happy to experience that!
It took me a week from swatching to weaving in the ends.
Collectively I would guesstimate my hours put into it was like a day and a half. So definitely a good weekend knit!
Yarn: As most of you already know, I used the lovely new spring line of Noro!
I LUV IT! This is Taiyo made up of 40% cotton, 30% silk, 15% Wool and 15% Nylon.
Great light feel and you still get the striping 'Noro surprise'!! :oD
With much BRIGHTER colors!!! Typically you see Noro more subdued or muddled.
Ponchita is in the banging color #4. Yum!
Noro claims this is a chunky weight yarn (I disagree - more DK), but I still wanted to use this yarn for the pattern. And knew I would be knitting up a lighter/thinner version of the capelet.
Which explains why I stepped out of my normal color palette with this very different and bright colors for me. I wanted it to say "Spring! Summer!" :o)
Needles: Can you believe I pulled out my Addis for this one! LOL ;op And thoroughly enjoyed my experience!
I used my US10s to get a closer gauge (mine ran a little under since my yarn weight was different)
The pattern suggests US11, but I am sure that is with the chunkier yarn originally recommended.
I also used my Option cords to hold the sleeves, and try it on without worrying about losing stitches. I really really luv having 2 needle sets!! YAH!
Cost: The Taiyo seems to be expensive at $18 a pop (I gasped too!), but honestly that is two $9 Noro balls in one with over 200 yds. In rationalizing it that way ;o) my heart stopped fluttering and I was able to plunk down my money for it! LOL
I used 1.25 balls for Ponchita.
The rest of the yarn I have already CO for another project you will get to see at a later blog time. ;op
What I learned: Mmmmh lets see....I did have a brain fart on the sleeves area
Don't ask why...I have no idea! Haha! Once I split and connect for the sleeves I was fine.
I did flub on my increases at the very beginning (maybe it was all the excitement around seeing the Yarn Harlot that day) but Heather got me back on track with my messed up YO on that one sleeve.
It was nice to get more experience with raglan patterns, since I really haven't knitted all that many of them!
Modifications: There were a few slight tweaks I made on this pattern.
I did CO 57 sts instead of 49 sts. The pattern really does help you to figure out the math, which is great!
So I did my set up row like this:
Row 1: K2, p6, yo, pm, p1, yo,p9, yo, pm, p1, yo, p19, yo, pm, p1, yo, p9, yo, pm, p1, yo, p6, k2. (=57sts w/o YO, =65sts w/ YO)
I did 19 raglan increases (yarn is thinner/different gauge)
Heather also gave me a TIP (Luv her! She is always SO helpful) regarding the placements of the YOs and your markers when you are at the point of splitting for your sleeves.
Here it is:
RS (purl side) - K2, p to right before the first YO, transfer all stitches until the last YO over after stitchmarker. Purl until right before the next sleeve YO, again transfer all stitches until the last YO over after stitchmarker. Purl to last 2 sts, K2.
Basically you want to ensure all of your YOs are transferred to the waste yarn.
Following where the pattern has you put the markers, it would be from one stitch before the first marker to two sts after the second marker as sleeve 1 and from one st before the third marker to two sts after the fourth marker as sleeve 2.
Next Row WS (knitted side) - Knit all stitches.
There was still a gap there 
More like a HOLE!! I had to tweak in doing some mattress seaming up the sleeve area.
I actually knitted in the back of the first two and last two stitches under the sleeves to try and make stitches tighter......but my gap has never been that big (thinking the thinner yarn magnified the situation).
Question: Does anyone know how to avoid that when connecting for the sleeves?!?Any tips you can provide would be great!
I did magic loop (for a short distance ;op) the sleeves and worked 4 more rows in stockinette before doing ribbing
As you can see it got a little "holey" under this one arm (the other one was just fine! See very 1st pic), and I figured it out, in that I had messed up one of my YOs near the end by mis-aligning it. I just kept going since it was going to be under my armpit and all! Haha!On the sleeves I did 8 rows in ribbing instead of just 5.
Also on the body I lengthened it just a bit
and knitted 7 even rows, then did 10 rows of ribbing, instead of 5 rows in the pattern.Verdict: I really would like to do this again in a chunkier weight yarn, and it would be my fall/winter version. So you will see it again ;o)
Great pattern! Easy pattern! Definitely do it!
What I do with raglan sleeves is to cast on a few stitches on the body in that gap where the sleeves were, and then pick up stitches from there when I got to do the sleeves, including an extra at each end of that section. That seems to help a lot with the underarm gap thing.
Keep up the good work!
I agree with Pam, whenever I do in the round sweater, I always cast on a few stitches when I split the sleeves, even if the pattern doesn't call for it. Then I just pick them up & do a couple of rounds of decreases.
;-)
If you don't mind, I have a question. How did you learn to knit ragland garments? I'd like to try this pattern but I have no idea how to do it.
Can you recommend a book that will explain the increase and the like?
Again it is so pretty...and that Noro is bound to be the bane of my budget! LOL!
Nice job all around with yarn choice, KAL choice, and getting done early! :)
What I have done for the hole prob under sleeves is.. when I get ready to join the sleeves, I reach down and pick up a stitch to add with the one on the needle and do a k2tog.
I do this for the 1 or 2 stitches on each side of the sleeve, and if it still needs it then I too add a stitch.
lol.
I used that pattern for two gifties last Christmas. My daughter LOVED hers and requested it in something springy/summery-er. Love yours, it fits the bill all around!
You just look adorable!
eeek, i want to cast on for mine now. it's been waiting in Rav's so patiently. heee!
You should definitely make it too! Hope mine encouraged you to CO now!