Finished?

Well, folks, we haven't had any new posts in almost two months . . . What do you think? Should we bring this knit-along to a close?

I'm happy to leave it open if anyone wants or needs it to be, but as I say, it's been awfully quiet . . .

What do you think?

Ummmm...

I posted on my blog a week ago about a rather unfortunate incident involving trying on my USMP and deciding that it would be better in a larger size. It ended up being frogged back to literally within an inch of its life. I was too distraught at the time to even post here!! Thankfully I've now had a few days to recover and am moving through the various stages of grief. This weekend being Easter, I'm hoping to have a quiet one, take a deep breath, and start making up some of the lost ground. There's weeks of stocking stitch to recover though! How are you all doing? Is anyone else still making progress?

Finished but with some alterations needed

I finished my USMS in Jan/Feb. I've been a really poor contributor to this KAL - mainly because it was such an headache remembering my username and password - given the amount needed for various websites nowadays!!

Anyway if you remember way back when I knitted my USMS in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Unlike Marji I am quite pleased with the feel and drape. My main grudge is that I don't feel the sweater is long enough. So I'm going to be incredibly brave and put the stitches at the section of the body that is worked straight back onto the needles and cut through the stitches just above, knit 2 or 3 inches extra then graft back together.

I have never tried doing this before so wish me luck. If anybody has done this before and has any advice then speak now!!! Next weekend is when I have earmarked the operation (that's what it feels like!). Photos to follow.

Congrats to all of you who have finished. I have enjoyed seeing the finished sweaters in all the different colours that have been chosen.

What happened.

what happened was, I really really didn't like the knit fabric of the baby cashmerino in the USMP - it felt boardy and stiff and I thought it should be softer and flowy-er.
If I make the USMP again I will use an alpaca. I have a sweater almost finished out of Inca Alpaca and that knit fabric is what I would have liked for this design.
So, bad choice of yarn on my part - live and learn.

I unravelled it so that the yarn, which is too nice to sit in a pullover unloved, can become this




or this - which are written for Rowan cashsoft 4 ply which is essentially the same yarn.

Official Failure of USMP

Trepidation

I'm procrastinating on blocking the body.
Deb, you used Rowan cash-soft right? Did you have any issues with the body growing during blocking?
the body on this fits me great right now. If it grows during blocking it is going to look like a sack of potatoes. And quite frankly, I'm prepared to rip the whole thing out and re-knit rather than have that happen.
Pair that fear with the fact that I'm not overly enamored of the drape of the sweater, I think it should be softer, and I'm just hung up on this one, going nowhere.

Officially one sleeve short of a sweater...

I finished my first sleeve last night. eeeeeeeee!!! That's the noise I made because I was so excited. I even pinned it to the body to try it on. It looks great! I'm pretty sure this is my favorite sweater I've made - probably because these finer knits look so much better than a big bulky sweater on my frame. I'm always worried about the fit, but this has, so far, turned out perfect! I made some mods to the sleeves because I didnt' want them as big at the bottom. Following what some of you did, I cast on about 10 less stitches. Due to my different gauge, this meant that after completing the cuff, I didn't do any decreases at all, just knit until it was the right lenght to do the increases. I was worried it wouldn't turn out well, but it's perfect! Yay! I even cast on and managed to get the hem complete last night - and swatched for my next project, which needless to say, is on bigger needles. I love the smaller needles and finer yarns, but I need something a bit faster for this next project.

Newbie with heaps of catching up to do!

Hi everyone! I know I'm waaaay behind the times with this one, but I live in Australia, and seriously, my copy of IK only just arrived last week. So it's time to get started! It's good to see that many of you are still going, but there are also quite a number of success stories to draw inspiration from. Congrats to those who finally made it!

I noticed that many of you have had problems substituting yarn, and trying to find something suitable seems to be even harder over here. I traipsed across town yesterday and purchased some gorgeous Eki Riva alpaca 4 ply, which according to the ball band should get perfect guage. Somehow in my swatching efforts last night I was only getting 25st, but I think that might have something to do with the dodgy needles I was using, plus the fact that it is currently 43 degrees celcius (don't even ask me to try to convert that, but it's damn hot).

The yarn is sooo lovely, but I'm thinking it might be a bit too delicate for a jumper - I'd hate to be too scared to wear it for fear of causing damage! I've read through the posts for an idea of what other people have been using, most of which aren't available over here. Realistically, the only other 4 ply (other than horrible sock yarn) that I would be able to get is the Rowan 4 ply Soft, and there is only one place in Melbourne that stocks it (yet another trip across the other side of the city), and I wouldn't be able to check it out for another week. It would also cost quite a bit more money, as the yardage is somewhat less than the Eki Riva.

I guess I'm asking for advice really on people's experiences of alpaca, and how well it holds up. I'm sure it would look really stunning, but how practical is it for a jumper? I'm dying to make a final decision so I can get started. All comments gratefully appreciated!

meekly raising her hand, still knitting

Well, I have the body done, but set it aside to work on the Colchique Irlandais that I was loving working on, and then set both aside for Christmas gift knitting. 8 scarves later and the promise of a hat, plus my ISE scarf that is 25% done....I expect to be able to get back to this by the end of the month. I'll probably finish just in time for Spring, which arrives here in St Louis sometime in February.
I'm knitting it out of the Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and I'm thinking that the resulting fabric is a little heavier and stiffer than I had hoped. I did find buttons though.

progress pics when I get around to taking them. Right now I must finish my ISE scarf - no small task as its a lace pattern with a 24 row repeat. Then my sons hat I promised him.

Anyone still knitting?

Well, I've got most of my body done. Finished up the back the other night, but haven't picked it up since to work on the front. The holidays and other knitting have intervened, so I really don't have much to show for the past few weeks. Also finally picked out some buttons, so hopefully they will arrive soon.


How's everyone else's progress?

Done!

Well, I'm done!

It only took me five months . . . (grin)

--Deb

One More Step

Okay, I'm at the very last piece of this sweater--sewing on the buttons.

Please come by my blog and give me your opinion on which one I should use.

I'm so excited--almost done!!

--Deb
www.chappysmom.typepad.com

OT: Baby Announcement

Kate Gilbert, designer of the Union Square Market Pullover, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the 28th. Isn't that wonderful??

Close. So Close!

I actually finished knitting my sleeves tonight! Hurray! I just hope I calculated/guessed correctly at the sleeve cap shaping, and that it will fit the body properly when I go to sew them together. (Not to mention hoping that it will fit MY body properly!)

I'll get the ends woven in tomorrow, and hopefully the sleeves sewn in, but I still need to get the buttons. Anybody have suggestions for online sources for nice buttons?

I'm happy, though. Assuming nothing goes wrong when I try to piece things together, the knitting part is done! I was starting to think I'd never get this far, this has been such a slow knit for me . . . and I was lucky enough to start with 2/3 the number of stitches as almost everyone else, too, since my gauge was so different. (And, honest, I knitted the entire thing on size 2 needles.)

--Deb