TTTKAL 2015, a project accomplished

You are going to get a kick out of this one. As I mentioned previously, I decided sort of last minute to join into Shannon's TTTKAL 2015. I have a ridiculously busy schedule these days, so I only committed to a little top for my daughter. Surely I thought, I could do this!

And I am proud to say that I did. Finish in time, blocked and ends woven in. I managed to snap a few shots while my little one was napping, and I made the deadline! Ok, the extended one, but a deadline nevertheless.

I have to say that I am proud of the ever-growing collection of handknits she has. (And at the same time I feel terrible that I have not knit anything for my son in....a while.)

The discussion on the thread today turned to heirlooms, and loving grandmothers knitting and sewing away. It seems most of us have fond memories of just that. I wish I had a photo of my grandmother knitting, but alas there are none. Still, knitting will forever be linked with her, and that is so immensely special to me.

But I digress. Back to my Ruffaluffagus. Once the photos were snapped, I was ready to have her wear it for Father's day this weekend. I thought I'd just try it on, to make sure it was perfect. I had measured after all, but it's always good to double-check. I have had my experiences with measuring. 

You may have guessed it by now....it does not fit! It seems that once I added the collar everything tightened. I can fix it of course, and I will, but it's one of those moments when you let out a well-deserved swear-word.

TTTKAL & Mommy Brain

You know what they say about the best intentions....

Well, I intended to participate in Shannon's TTTKAL and make a cute summer top for myself, but I mobilized too late and by the time my yarn arrived, it was one day away from the finishing deadline.I blame mommy-brain. Indecision and procrastination have nothing to do with it!

Though this deadline was extended to yesterday, the 2nd June, I am nowhere near finishing.  But, it has given me the opportunity to follow along in the thread, chat with some other knitters, and that is always a blast. To anyone that is considering joining a KAL, Shannon's are always a lot of fun. It's a great group of ladies! I can only recommend it!

Nevertheless, let me introduce you to my project. I chose the Driftwood Tee by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark. It is very "me". Clean lines, with a little interesting detail. I debated for too long which yarn to choose. I did not have anything in my stash, and did not want to invest a lot, so I though I'd give Holst yarn a try. I have heard good things about it. The specification on their website are very similar to the yarn this pattern calls for, only a couple of stitches off from the pattern gauge. So far it is a lovely yarn, though it is a lot thinner then I expected. I personally would call it a lace-weight, but hey, I am no expert. The knitted fabric is very airy, which is nice for a summer top. 

We'll see what the finished project turns out to be....hopefully I will stick to it, and get to wear it this summer, as I do not have the encouragement of my fellow knitters to keep me going.

Updates to follow!

TTT KAL Finish- Lessons learned

My title my sound positive, but the reality of it is that I have decided to frog this project. I am about 3/4 through and I have known for a while that this is not going to end well. It's simply not turning out the way I envisioned it.

What went wrong? 

Here's what I think. 

Lack of proper measuring on my part mostly. In determining which size to knit, I simply based me choice on the bust measurement, and nothing else. I started knitting and blindly followed the pattern without any additional measuring. This approach usually works for me, and I have obviously been very fortunate with fit thus far. This is a very simple top, and fit is that much more important when you are making such a sleek item. I should have made it longer, narrower, shortened the lattice portion and decreased the neck-opening. Lots of fellow knitters made the Cap Sleeve Top during the KAL, and almost everyone made some modifications, so the next time I attempt this, I will certainly read more notes, measure and try it on constantly.

Here's to learning from your mistakes!