Pages

Sunday, October 08, 2006

DD1's jumper


DSCI0005
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Do you remember this? Mid August I was wondering what i had taken on. Following all the encouragement and reading books by Elizabeth Zimmermann, I decided I could knit a top in the round so there would be no sewing up at the end. After all the jumpers that lie unmade after the knitting is finished, and bearing in mind the romper suit still unfinished for DS (now 14) and the colinette cardi so nearly completed but stalled for over a year now, this seamed to be the ieal way for me to make a finished garment.

Writing down the pattern as I went, I had fond ideas of embarking on a design career in knitwear. Well here is the finished garment, after many changes and with the aid of the graph paper in the little Knitter's Design Journal by Debbie Stoller.

mjump2

mpurp1

Said DD is modeling the finished top but was recalcitrant and refused to remove the scraggy old t-shirt that she had on before putting on the magical handmade item. I think she fails to treat it with due reverence already! But if you look past the baggy off white scruffiness you will see I made it with minimum shaping but the double moss stitch is drapy enough for her shape to show, yes, she is sticking her chest out, remember being 13? I do :o)

Things that worked(ish) :-

the no seams thing - big thumbs up
the stitch choice - looks nice but a bugger to knit, two hand movements for each stitch, thinking fondly of stocking stitch ;o)
the shoulder seam - 3 needle cast off - love it!
knitting sleeves down - worked because they are capped, not sure about shaping for loger sleeves
neck band in 1 x 1 rib - think I could have done a rib at the bottom too.

Things that didn't work :-

no shaping in the body - would reduce and increase at waist in future
length - my preference, not hers
writing a pattern - not sure anyone else could follow it as I know what I did, will have to 'test' this by making it available to someone else.

Overall? Pretty chuffed to have finished. DD happy cos I made it for her. I like knitting in the round.

Next big project? Well, I have the yarn for DH's Gansey so ... lots of stocking stitch.

Meanwhile WIP to see to. Lace to finish, socks to knit, cq to sew, and row by row of patchwork pieced tulips to assemble.

2 comments:

Nanette said...

I love both your finished projects.... bit pat on the back :)

That little cardi is really special...does K love it ??

Maureen said...

Had to come back today J and tell you I love your DDs top!(and it drapes so well too)
The wee cardi is pretty cute.Does K just love having those ties to keep undoing??