Reading:
This week I picked up Mitch Winehouse's Amy from the new books section at the library. I'm about a third of the way through and it's an interesting read, so far, and while it's all very rose-tinted (as you might expect) I admire his honesty about Amy's addiction issues.
I'm not a big autobiography reader but I enjoy reading the stories of people from my generation - all of the different experiences and paths we have taken - I find it interesting.
Knitting:
Well, I promised it last week and I can confirm that my Vinelle cardigan is finally off the needles!
I'd like to tell you that it looks like this:
But unfortunately it looks more like this:
I did all of the decreases as instructed in the pattern and had the corresponding amount of stitches at the right times but...
So what have I done wrong?
I knit a size bigger than I needed but still, that seems an awfully wide neckline and the pattern pictures certainly don't seem to imply an off-the-shoulder look (if it did, I wouldn't have knitted it).
Are my shoulders completely disproportionate to the rest of my body?
Perhaps the EZ percentages used to scale the pattern aren't correct?
I don't know. But I have spent a lot of time on it (and a fair bit of cash on the yarn) so I want to fix it.
So today, dear Knitters, I ask for your help - what would you do? Please don't say you'd frog it!
No idea how you could fix it, Im still a knit and purl squares girl lol but I think it looks nice like it is, off the shoulders :-) Love the colours
ReplyDeleteThanks, Becky :o)
DeleteAh, sorry you're disappointed. I had to look a few times at the top two pics to see what you meant, until I moved down to your pegged image. Does it feel really uncomfortable as it is? I quite like the open neck line. If you really don't want to frog and decrease, do you think running a little bit of shearing elastic through the neckline would make it sit a little better on your shoulders? It really is rather beautiful though.
ReplyDeleteHi Cara - I like an open neck line but this is sort of uncomfortably off the shoulders, like it's falling rather than it's meant to be there.
DeleteCouldn't you just stitch front and back together couple of inches each shoulder?
ReplyDeletePossibly, Jax - thanks for the suggestion :o)
DeleteI think it looks really nice as it is :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amanda :o)
DeleteI have to say that I like the open neck! And I don't know how you could fix it either. Maybe add several more decrease rows at the neck until it is the right size for you, or maybe just knit a lovely cowl to wear with the sweater? :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heather :o)
DeleteFirst of all is it top down or bottom up? Either way you could UNDO the neck line and put all the stitches back on the needle and decrease strategically the amount of stitches you wish to eliminate. if it is top down undoing the edge will be difficult but doable. Email me if you have any more questions.
ReplyDeletePS it is LOVELY!!!!!
Thanks :o)
DeleteIt's bottom up.
Thank you for the suggestions for how to fix it - I will have to see if I can be brave enough to give it a go!
I love the color of the yarn, and I really think it looks great "off-the-shoulder" - really...but sorry, I have no idea how to fix it - but I wouldn't fix it if I were you, it really is lovely :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :o)
Deleteoh no! Its gorgeous, what a great colour, and with the peg - perfect! I wouldn't frog it, but I would fix it, so that you actually wear it.
ReplyDeleteI would tink back to just after you have joined the sleevs to the body and do some increases along the back - probably quite a few, count how many stitches you have pegged. and then continue.
Good luck and let us know how you go!
Thanks, Sarah :o)
DeleteI was going to suggest exactly what Karen said, she is a wiz with the knitting needles!
ReplyDeleteI had to redo my cardigan four times before I got it right so hang in there, it's a pain, but you can do it!
Thanks, Tracey!
DeleteThe lace pattern on your cardi is gorgeous. Looks like lovely soft yarn. Hopefully the suggestions here help you. You certainly want such a lovely cardi to be everything you'd hoped for. Jacinta
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jacinta :o)
DeleteThe color and the pattern of your cardi is lovely! I don't think the neckline is that bad, but if you don't care for it, that's all that matters. Could you undo some and decrease a bit more? If that is too much work or not doable, what about trying to thread a thin elastic through it? Not sure how that would look, but it wouldn't be difficult to try... Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Anke :o)
Deletepretty color!!! Don't think there is much of a fix without ripping out some of it......and like Karen said, do some dramatic decreases in the raglan section. too lovely not to fix
ReplyDeleteThanks, steph. I agree - I will definitely do something to make it wearable.
DeleteWell, crap! I love the way your sweater came out but I didn't realize that the neckline is that loose. I would say since it's a bottom up sweater, to do what swankski suggested.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to keep that in mind when I complete mine.
I think that this might be because I knit a bigger size - which one are you knitting?
DeleteI wouldn't make any adaptations to yours based on my knitting in case I've done it wrong but I'd advise trying it on before you start the seed stitch collar part.
I agree with the others the open neck line looks fine.....such a gorgeous knit!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alisa :o)
DeleteI love the colors of the sweater. I almost didn't see a problem with it until I scrolled down to the third picture. I'd listen to Karen. I wish I knit half as well as she does! (and as fast!).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jen. It's reassuring to know it's not that noticeable :o)
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ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful! I have the same problem with a cardi I made. I am going to frog it though because I had a couple of issues I wasn't happy with. Swanski has the right idea. You can just undo the neckline and re-knit it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donna :o)
DeleteI must say, I love it just as it is as well! But undoing the neckline won't be that bad, thank goodness it is bottom up!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emma. I've never unpicked a cast off edge before so I'm very nervous about it!
DeleteIt is too gorgeous to be unhappy with...you must fix it..!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary - I definitely will try!
DeleteUm, sell it on Ebay to a turtle?! Not sure what to suggest but I might be tempted to go in with the SEWING machine and create some pleats back there. Sounds mad but I probably would rather do that than frog. The extra yarn at the back of the pleat could then be snipped (ouch!0 away. A kind of steek, if you will. Or a box pleat of sorts. It does look OK as is though too, you just need to wear it with attitude!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jules. I was thinking about putting some pleats/darting it in some way.
DeleteI think I might wear it with a frown from having chilly shoulders if I leave it as is lol!
Some great ideas here already. I think it looks good as it is but if you are not keen I would be all for sorting it out until it is right, how frustrating for you after all that work. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThank you :o)
DeleteI like this pattern, I hadn't come across it before!
ReplyDeleteIf you really cannot undo the edging at the top as everyone agrees (I see the button band issue with that) then an alternate would be to continue with the ribbing (seed stitch) and carry on towards the neckline in that stitch, decreasing until it is comfortable. This might mean adding another button or not. It looks like a perfect neckline would be somewhere between where it is now and where you have it pegged, which looks a little too taken-in in the photo but only you know how it feels and your comfort level with a wider neck. Good luck. Show us what transpires.
Ach - I'm glad you said that because I hadn't been considering the button band.
DeleteThanks so much for your suggestions, Elizabeth :o)
I hope you manage to make yourself satisfied with it, it's so beautiful and such a lot of hard work went into it. 'fixing' knitting fills me with terror, but on the one or two occasions that's I've dived in and gone for it, it's been so satisfying to rectify the problem. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteIt fills me with terror, too - infact, I've never undone a finished project before!
DeleteThanks for the luck - I think I will need it!
How frustrating for you. My first sweater was started before I joined ravelry. If I had known I could've altered it. I ended up giving it to my mother. She loves it. I'm glad someone who suggested undoing the knitting even if it was a top down. I wouldn't know how to do that so I am glad she has offered to help. Too kind. The other suggestion of s box pleat is how I would fix it, just use the yarn it's knit with , not a sewing machine. Please do let us know of your progress!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna - I will let you all know how I get on!
Delete