Fitted Knits Along

delay

turns out i didn't have enough of my mustard wool to finish my crisp rectangle tunic top!
luckily i found out about this pretty soon (before i had finish a quarter of one side, so i think of it as a kind of practise...)

anyway, i'm still on the crisp rectangle tunic top, this time with (enough) gray wool, very easy to knit, but not exactly easy to prepare!

it was sold in hank (? is that the right word? so says my online dictionary...), and without an adequate machine (or a willing two-arms friend), it needs a bit of preparation and/or hardwork...
(thanks dad for the help!) ;-)

anyway, i finished the frontside, and i'm pretty happy about the way it looks, but i'm also lacking of courage to go on with the backside, having to face with more "random" knitting, which i don't think really exists, and turns out to require imagination if you want your sweater to look nice...

motivation! motivation! motivation!

first post, first project

I'm really happy to join you all on this knit along (my first one!).

My first project is the crisp rectangle tunic top, with a mustard, kind of "rough" wool, I really don't think this is the perfect wool for this, as it is irregular and pretty thick, but I want to give it a try nonetheless (i loooove this wool).

I've only just begun, and already thought about quitting, having some problems with the short rows, just like Julia Emily explains it here. Fortunately, she found a solution to this problem, and i can't thank her enough for explaining it!

1st... ... 2nd...
...and third!

So, I'm on my third attempt to achieve these blasted unexpected short rows, but i think i'm finally on the right track!

Nota: I'm not completely sure about my english, i really don't know if it's completely understandable, or completely confusing ! so don't hesitate to tell me if there's a mistake, or something you don't get in my text, i'd love to correct it and have the opportunity to improve my english

Tunic Progress.

The headache is over--I'm just rows away from finishing the front panel of the Crisp Rectangle Tunic Top! I got halfway through it before I finally wrapped my head around the instructions and had to rip it out. Once I realized what I was doing, it was a quick knit--about three days. Unfortunately this is one of those projects I'm really looking forward to wearing and not really enjoying the process of. It's not bad, though, it's just that I have to be really paying attention to it, remembering what row I'm on and all that.

The business with the short rows got cleared up when I started to think of the short rows as part of the row they occur on. So for example, at the beginning of the pattern, it says to knit the first six rows flat, without short rows. Then, on the seventh row, which is a WS row, it calls for a 30 st "hip short row." So row 7 includes not only the wrong and right sides of the short row, it also includes the full WS row that follows the short row. So when you flip it over and are on the RS, you're knitting row 8.

I don't know if that makes much sense, but I suspect if you're in the midst of the mind-scramble that is the Crisp Rectangle Tunic Top, you just might get it. I just thought I'd try to articulate that idea in case it could help others who are working (or might later work) on this project.

On a lighter (and clearer) note, I've absolutely loved working with this rich brown Debbie Bliss cotton dk, which is absolutely not dk weight at all. I got gauge with the size 7 needles that the pattern calls for, though I'm pretty sure the Cascade Pima Tencel that the pattern calls for is worsted weight. I'm really enjoying the morse code stitch pattern; the improvisational aspect of this knit really makes up for the tedium of counting rows.

I can't wait to start the back panel and the finishing and the WEARING of this knit!

Tunic Troubles.

I'm on the 40th row of the Crisp Rectangle Tunic Top and though nothing looks glaringly wrong, I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm missing something.

Oh, wait--I just reread the pattern and I think I know the problem... but let me run it by you guys anyway. OK. In the pattern it says that for regular rows (rows without short-rows), I'm to "work back and forth over all sts." Does that mean that 1 row in the pattern equals both a right-side AND a wrong-side row? If so, I guess I have to rip out. The rows that do call for short-rows--is the short-row itself a row, or is it the short row and the regular row that follows it? Does that even make sense? My head is spinning a little. Every time I get to a short row, it's labeled either as a "hip row" or a "neckline row." but sometimes these are short rows at the bottom of the piece and sometimes they're at the top, and the neckline short-rows are not always at the top. I'm trying to follow the directions to the line, but I feel like I'm knitting short-rows in the wrong places.

Any suggestions, or have I given you all a headache?

Thanks,
Julia.

back in the saddle again.

yes, I do have a thing with the polaroid collage thing, leave me alone (with silly grin).  Okay, I am back from my honeymoon and had a great time.  I am ready to get back to my normal knitting and blogging life.  regarding the tunic, I don't know if anybody else has had any issues with this (could very well be all me) but it seems that the front is smaller, thinner.  The back seems to be a proper size.  I think that if it ends up being to thin I will maybe add a panel to each side using short rows to make the panel thinner at the underarm area and wider at the hip area.  With the random purl rows I think this panel addition will be hidden nicely, if it comes to that.  After this project is complete I think I would like to knit the puff-sleeve cardi.

Crisp Rectangle

Hi y'all! this is my first post here. I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's beautiful FOs.

Anyway, I've been working on the Crisp Rectangle Tunic and I'm a little worried at how large the sizes are. I know it's a tunic and supposed to be loose fitting but I don't want it to look like a potato sack on me. I'm knitting the smallest size (36 bust I think) and the shortest version and according to the schematics the finished waist measurement will be 36 inches in circumference. I'm a 34 bust and my waist is 28 inches....that's 8 inches of ease in the waist. yikes!

So, I've decided I'm going to modify it by  removing the two centermost neckline short rows on the front piece and subtracting two inches from the plain rows in the center on the front and back pieces. If I'm correct, this will make for a finished waist circumference of 32 inches. Does this all sound logical to you? I love how interesting and different the construction is for this garment but unfortunately you can't try it on as you go.

Sorry I don't have a picture at the moment but I'm about 3/4 done with the front. It's a super quick knit so far. I'll show pics soon.

Thanks!

MLE

Just a quickie update

Almost finished w/textured tunic in Aracunia Nature Cotton. Did the recommended waist shaping (thanks, Stephi!) which looks great and am doing the sleeves in the round. Made some changes on the sleeves as well; didn't decrease in the box pattern and went up a size (picked up 40 stiches), and then just increased 4 stitches evenly later on, and they look great. The hip area may be a smidge tight, but I figure that the cotton will stretch.

Then went a little overboard, and got both Knit Picks Merino style (strawberry) for the puff-sleeve cardigan, and Shine (Grass) for the rectangle tunic. Also, although it's not at all related to this KAL, I'm in love with the Bella Blouse, the web project from Summer IK...but must prioritize!

update and explaination

I wanted to give an update on the crisp rectangle tunic progress.  I have completed the front and I am about halfway through the back.  I have knitting like crazy because I am trying to get this done before my honeymoon which starts on Saturday.  I may be seaming this up on the way to Disney on Saturday.  Well, time to get back too it. 

Moving along

I have finished the Perfect Turtleneck.  I am not very happy with it for me.  It is too short because I didn't have enough yarn, and couldn't get any more.  Oh well, I am going to give it to a girl I work with who has a shorter torso than me.  I started the Crisp Rectangle Tunic Top.  I am about 6-8' into it, the pic shows when I was about 5' into pattern.  I am really enjoying the yarn, it is very soft and a lovely color.