Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Finished Object!

Check it out: Bella Blouse is done and seamed and blocked!







Here is what I learned from this project:

1. Life lines save your knitting, relationships, and furniture from utter turmoil and destruction.

2. The pattern lied: you don't need five skeins of Berrocco Touche to knit this in size small. I didn't even touch the fifth skein! (Anybody need dye lot 79022 in color 7906?)

3. For the neck pieces, the pattern directs you to bind off in six separate rows. I suggest combining the fifth and sixth so that the final bind off row includes seven stitches instead of four. It makes seaming easier.

4. I flipped the lace pattern on the second shoulder.

5. Seaming sucks. No wonder people put it off.

To those who are keeping score (who are also me), this is my first knitted top and lace pattern. I shall now wear it out to a 4th of July cookout!

(And may the gods of ketchup look kindly upon me and all my knitting.)

11 comments:

Maxmom said...

Yours looks great. I finished mine a little while back. I used the same yarn for the whole thing and left the sleeves off....couldn't make them work.

Jeanne said...

I love it. I bought yarn for it a while ago and decided it wouldn't work for it, but I'm going to give it another go.

You asked about natural dyeing books on my blog. The book I refer to most is A Dyer's Garden. It is especially helpful for giving mordant quantities.

This page also has good info
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html . You will never get the same thing twice and messing with the ph (for example I threw a bit of vinegar in the dye bath with the onion skins) can change things completely! Have fun!

Terri said...

Thanks for the comment on my shawl on the Buffy KAL, and OMG it does look like tanned very pink beaver hide!!! That totally cracked me up, and frightened me at the same time. Once again, great job on your sweater!

Virtuous said...

Love the top!! Thanks for all the project tips!!!

LOL @ Ketchup gods Hahha!

Bonnie said...

Beautiful! The color, fit, knitting are all perfect. Enjoy all those compliments--you deserve them!

Hattie said...

I wouldn't have looked at that pattern twice if I hadn't seen yours!

It's beautiful and now I want to make it. :)

tiennieknits said...

Great job!

Lydia said...

Saw your post on IK KAL and came over for more info. I love this top, and it looks terrific on you. I also wasn't all that interested in it based on the photo in the magazine, but yours looks so great I want to make one now too. Very elegant. Yours fits better than the one on the model, too, or has a better drape or something. In any case, it's gorgeous, you did a super job! Love the color.

Jenny said...

It looks even more beautiful in real life! Such a great color to bring out your eyes. :) You are so talented!

Octopus Knits said...

Very pretty! I love the color.

Frank the Reindeer said...

You give me hope! I am just now getting into the front of mine, and I'm running out of steam! Gorgeous!