AARRRGGHHH!!!
Ever had a Charlie Brown moment? You know the moment I'm talking about, where Lucy pulls the football away from him right as he is about to kick it. Every time, Charlie believes that Lucy won't do it this one time. And every time, he ends up flat on his back. How, you ask, can this possibly relate to knitting? Well, have you ever had a pattern that you know just wasn't working out the way it was supposed to, you knew it wasn't quite right, yet you kept blindly following it, hoping against everything that somehow it would turn out all right anyway?
*SIGH* Sadly, I've come to the conclusion that I was kidding myself where Bella is concerned. There is no way the pattern as written will fit me. It was apparently written for a much shorter woman than I happen to be.
I finished the back as written and thought it a bit short (even though my gauge was absolutely perfect – remember, I actually did a swatch!). Maybe it will block longer, I thought. What really clued me in though was when I finally looked at the sleeve length. Thirteen inches from the underarm (at least I assume from the underarm, otherwise it would be even shorter!). Thirteen inches! That wouldn't even make it to halfway down my forearm. The bottom of the sweater won't make it past the top of my jeans (and I don't wear lowcut). Even if, by some miracle it did block longer, the waist shaping would be in the wrong place. In the picture of the finished garment, I get the impression that the bottom is supposed to flare out over the hips a bit and that the sleeves are supposed to be around the same length or even a little longer.
So in case you haven't noticed that Bella's percentage bar has dropped significantly, I accepted the fact that I had to rip quite a bit out (all of it). The good news is that it works up fairly quickly and the other good news is that Knitpicks still has the same dyelot, so guess what I did. Yep, I ordered several more skeins. (By the way, did you know they now have Shine in Worsted AND new colors in the DK?)
Having complained about the pattern, I feel it is only fair to say that it is a beautiful pattern and the pattern is very well written and easily understood. It just needs some serious length adjustments (in the smaller bust sizes at least) if you are not a petite person and therefore requires a little more yarn than stated in the pattern.
*SIGH* Sadly, I've come to the conclusion that I was kidding myself where Bella is concerned. There is no way the pattern as written will fit me. It was apparently written for a much shorter woman than I happen to be.
I finished the back as written and thought it a bit short (even though my gauge was absolutely perfect – remember, I actually did a swatch!). Maybe it will block longer, I thought. What really clued me in though was when I finally looked at the sleeve length. Thirteen inches from the underarm (at least I assume from the underarm, otherwise it would be even shorter!). Thirteen inches! That wouldn't even make it to halfway down my forearm. The bottom of the sweater won't make it past the top of my jeans (and I don't wear lowcut). Even if, by some miracle it did block longer, the waist shaping would be in the wrong place. In the picture of the finished garment, I get the impression that the bottom is supposed to flare out over the hips a bit and that the sleeves are supposed to be around the same length or even a little longer.
So in case you haven't noticed that Bella's percentage bar has dropped significantly, I accepted the fact that I had to rip quite a bit out (all of it). The good news is that it works up fairly quickly and the other good news is that Knitpicks still has the same dyelot, so guess what I did. Yep, I ordered several more skeins. (By the way, did you know they now have Shine in Worsted AND new colors in the DK?)
Having complained about the pattern, I feel it is only fair to say that it is a beautiful pattern and the pattern is very well written and easily understood. It just needs some serious length adjustments (in the smaller bust sizes at least) if you are not a petite person and therefore requires a little more yarn than stated in the pattern.
posted by Alison at 7:23 AM
8 Comments:
Oh, those Charlie Brown moments... Lucky you were able to get the same dyelot at least!! :)
Ugh, well at least you realized it before you had it all knitted up. I probably would have just kept going and then in the end realized it just wasn't going to work.
Yeah on the same dyelot, I am impressed with Knitpicks that they will try to help out as best as possible. I've always been so pleased with their customer service.
Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear about Bella. Gosh, the sizing must be really strange on it... I'm really short and on the small side, but even my arms from underarm to wrist are longer than 13 inches!! That's so weird! I'm glad that you were able to get more of the same dyelot at least. It is a beautiful pattern, and in spite of all the frogging (argh!), I can't wait to see you modeling it! Take care, Alison! :-)
oh deary....when you love the yarn, the color, the pattern, did your swatch and this had to happen....so sorry....
do you think it might have anything to do with the cotton=less stretch? juz a random thought...
Ooh, I hate that. I never admit it's not working until the very end, either. Even when I know the truth, I try to block it out. Good luck on the second try!
Err -- Can you add cleaning the house to one of those progress bars?
I'm not looking at the pattern or schematic but I'm on a list with Joan M-M (the designer) and I believe the sleeves are supposed to be "bracelet" length as in more like 3/4 than long sleeve.
Another problem may also be that Shine is a SPORT weight NOT DK, so the stitch count is 6 sts/inch as opposed to 5.5 for a true DK. This being the case I'm guessing your row gauge is off and your using much more yarn to knit the same "volume" you would achieve using a true DK.
I realise this is after the fact but I think you should consider this for take 2 :)
Also, if you ever have a question or problem with White Lies Designs Joan is easy to reach and really helpful if you contact her!
Oh I know how you feel, I'm a big, tall person and always have to adjust my patterns. Hey, at least you caught it when you did. :)
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