Monday, February 13, 2006

Weekend Warrior




Check my progress, yo!

I am very pleased with what I accomplished this weekend. I am JUST about finished with the front panel of the sweater. I am enjoying this pattern, because the increasing and decreasing are spaced out very far, so you get a nice curvy shape. This has been a good lesson in shaping things - The slight increasing and decreasing is every 6 rows 3x. That's it, and look at the majesty! No boxy, man-sweaters for me! Where it tapers out, and then sharply in is the armholes for the sleeves. That is the part of the project that i am most concerned with most-- joining the sleeves to the body of the sweater, but I think that'll be fine. Things are working for me as I go along.

I've never knit something a) huge and b) reading the pattern by the book. Usually i goof with it (and truth be told, I'm going to goof with this one-- I'm thinking of not knitting the cowl). But it's great. As I am going along, the pattern is making sense. I find this delightful and might actually start following patterns instead of measuring things and guessing wildly and knitting small round things exclusively from now on.

I ran into two snafu's.

1.) The measurements for the sizing on this sweater are just effing RIDICULOUS. i'm sorry, but a size small that needs a 30 1/2 inch BUST measurement is for a child. C'MON people. Most bra sizes are at LEAST a 32, and "hello, man-back" i wear a 36 (Hello internets. this is my bra size. I am a sexy, sexy linebacker!)

So the end sum of this rant? I am knitting a size XL. That's right, I'm the man. The bust on the XL is 37 1/2 inches, which is big, but the L is a 34 1/2 and i'd rather knit it a little big and block it DOWN to a wearable size than have garter stitch bursting at my.... ahem... lady lumps.

I know one shouldn't be married to size, but now i feel like this sweater is mocking me. How can something i am creating (for myself. As a treat, no less) make me feel bad about myself? SCREW YOU, PURPLE SWEATER.

2.) said decision was DUMB to make right after casting on, holding up the first few rows and going "oh no. no way in hell" and frogging (read: ripping it out. Get it? Rip it? Frogs? Rip it? knitters are HILARIOUS, people) bitterly, because I had counted on making the Large without really thinking.

I bought 6 skeins of this particular yarn as the M and L sizes call for 6. However, the "Sweater for ye who hath a back the size of Montana" calls for 7 skeins. PROBLEMO. So far the front panel which i've knit has taken up a skein and like, an 1/8th. so i'm hoping that if i don't make a big deal of the cowl, then i'll have enough yarn.

which is totally fine, the cowl on the picture is what i'm not wild about. I do love the long bell sleeves, and i've made the body of the sweater precisely 1/2 an inch longer than called for because i hate when things are short torso-ed and ride up on you.

Having just written "ride up on you", please let the brokeback jokes commence. I'll be listening from the corner, where my huge-man-back belongs.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I wish I could learn how to quit you. **SOB!!!**"

Victorious Moon said...

I wish you could quit me...cuz i'm like honey and you are a big ole bear and you like the honey, but you can't have the honey cuz you get stung, but the honey is sooooo sweet and you are all like, "give me that honey". and i am all like, NO!!! you cannot have the Mango honey!! The Mango honey is for the sweetest of lips and woah I just took it way to far, so if you haven't stopped reading now, you should stop. It is just getting kind of insane.