So here's my next finished project, a WIP that had been languishing since November on my needles:
Name: Mary Jane, from Twist Collective's Winter Edition
Yarn used: Louisa Harding Grace hand-dyed (Ravelry link), 50% merino, 50% silk, colour 3. While the pattern called for approximately 720 yards of yarn, I had to use almost 1100 yards to complete the sweater in this particular yarn (10 skeins, with more than half of the last skein left over).
Size: a combination of medium and small -- should have chosen small or even extra-small throughout.
Started: 29 November 2008
Finished: 19 January 2009
Apart from the frustration of running out of yarn (I had bought more than what the pattern called for, but had to get 2 skeins more to finish it), which is probably due to substituting the yarn, I really enjoyed the knitting. The pattern is knit from the top down and requires minimal finishing. Alternating the snake skin stitch with regular stockinette prevented boredom from setting in, and there are some pretty details (see close-up of the shoulder).
Here is a close-up of the snake skin stitch:
The finished product, however, doesn't overjoy me. It's a bit too.... girly for me. The sleeves are a bit too puffy for my taste, and I realize that I don't like half sleeves. Yes, I should have known that before hand, right? I have never owned a sweater with half sleeves, and I realize now that it's probably because I'm not attracted to them in the first place.
The nicest part is the top shaping:
Of course, it is greatly helped by the padded bra....
But all in all, no, it's not one of these finished projects that I will wear much. Again, I'm a process knitter, and I end up wearing very few of my finished projects, so it's okay. No rolling of the eyes, please -- yes, it may seem totally idiotic to a lot of people to spend so much time knitting something I will not wear, but it's the pleasure I get from the knitting that is most important. There are lovely sweaters out there that would look great on me, but I would rather poke my eyes out than knit them, because they are incredibly boring, or the yarn would make me cry, or the pattern would just irritate me. Ah, the contradictions that we knitters are made of...
One note about the yarn: it's nice, it's soft, but there were knots in the middle of a skein, and I came across two skeins that had meters and meters of yarn that was not properly spun; I don't know how to describe it, but it had tufts here and there that actually show on the knitting (one of the sleeves mostly). While I liked the texture of the yarn, and what it's made of, I would not buy it again. I HATE coming across knots in the middle of my knitting and find it cheap of yarn manufacturers to stick them in there. I am in the middle of knitting a hat and just came across a big knot in the middle of my Sublime Cashmere Aran ball -- why, oh why must they do that? I know Noro has the habit of leaving knots, but Louisa Harding? Sublime? What is the world coming to? Ah, the drama of it all...
Moka understands my plight and is deeply concerned:









































































