Sunday 27 January 2008

Sunrise Circle Jacket progress


So far, so good, with the Sunrise Circle Jacket. I started with the back. It's the easiest part, bottom to top, a couple of waist darts, and raglan shaping.

I swatched Thursday - stitch gauge was perfect though my row gauge was a couple of rows off over 4 inches. I forged ahead anyway.

I cast on and knitted a couple of rows, then put it away until the evening. Thursday evening was knit night - wahoo - with three friends showing up to knit and chat for the evening. Got a good start on the straight section of the back.


Friday and Saturday I worked my way up through the waist shaping. The piece measured a little more than that stated in the pattern, but I didn't think it would be a problem. However I started to worry when this feeling came over me that maybe it WOULD be a problem if the side seams didn't match. I thought that the side seams of the back (rows) would have to match up with the side seams of the front (stitches). If you haven't seen a photo of this jacket, the sleeves are knitted and then some increasing happens that results in two very odd-shaped pieces of knitting that are the fronts of the jacket.

I was considering putting the back aside and making the fronts first, but it was late and I put the whole thing away for the night.

Just as well - often the answer to a challenge seems to become clear with distance. I realised that there will be row ends at the front side seams, not stitches, and if my knitting gauge is a little loose on the back, it will be equally loose on the front. I am therefore going to go ahead and finish the back first.

I was hoping that this jacket would be finished in time for my holiday in the Spring, and considering how much has been accomplished in the last three days I expect to be wearing it well before then.

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