The Specs:
-Pattern: Picovoli, by Grumperina, from Magknits.
-Yarn: Knitpicks Shine
-Skeins: Nearly 5 balls in Grass.
-Needles: size 4 circs
-Start to finish: June 20 - July 4
-For: Me (I told you this would be the summer of knitting for me...)

Notes: I knitted the second smallest size. The only mods were to add an extra half inch in the waist and another inch at the bottom. It could really use another half inch or so, but whatever...cotton gets longer with time, right? Just call me Elli of the long torso.

The only thing that bugs me is that the top picots are a little floppy. I think it's because I was knitting a bit looser on those first few rows. In fact, I'm sure of it. And I knew it right after I'd done it, but I didn't rip back. So it's all my fault, really.

The Pattern: Lovely and easy to follow (but then you know that because you've all made one already, right)? The only thing I can add is that the picots are not that bad. In fact, I really enjoyed sewing them down...it's so much easier than seaming but still feeds your inner finisher so that you come out feeling all accomplished and stuff. Of course maybe y'all skipped the picots because you didn't care for them, in which case that's your problem.

left arm optional

Final Verdict: Love it! Two thumbs up from Thunky as well.

Posted by Elli at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Picovoli knitting has commenced. Believe it or not, I'm almost to the sleeve cap bits (but it doesn't really take all that long to get there, does it?).

Once I got a few rows in I (perhaps unwisely) knitted my provisional cast-on stitches together with the live stitches to save me the trouble of going back and sewing them down later. It seems to have worked like a charm...the only tricky bit was remembering to compensate for the extra stitches created by the raglan increases. I'm still waiting to get to the point in the pattern where I find out that I wasn't supposed to do that, but it hasn't happened yet. La, la, la...waiting for the hammer to fall...la, la...

Been wondering what to do with all those little girly necklace charms you've got lying around? Stitch markers!

I've also been getting some knitting in on River but it looks a lot like it does here, so I'll just let you use your imagination.

That's all I've got. Over and out peeps.

Posted by Elli at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Don't you think it's high time we had a couple of new projects around here? Me too.

Kricket's River:

I started this one on Monday and am slowly chugging along on it. I've already had to rip back twice because of stupid mistakes so it's pretty obvious that I'm going to have to learn to respect the River and take my time. The nuptials aren't until August 25, so I'm not in a rush, I’m just not used to having to pay such close attention to every. single. stitch. The pattern is easy enough; it's the fuzzy wuzzy yarn that’s tripping me up. Kidsilk Haze knitters of the world, I salute you.

[Krick, if you’re reading this…every stitch is sheer joy. It’s the most wonderful knit ever.]

Picovoli:

Picovoli has been on my to-knit list for a while and it looks like it's time has finally come since I need an easy project for travel knitting. That swatch there is a bit pointless, as I changed needle sizes so many times over so few rows that you really can't tell much from it at all. Regardless, I'm going to go ahead and guess that size fives are where it's at since I don't have time to reswatch.

Anyway, I'm off to a work-related conferencey thing in Columbus, Ohio and will be internetless until Thursday. I'm already horribly behind on all things blog-related, so I apologize if I haven't responded/commented/said hi lately...it's going to be a little while longer before I can get to it. Keep the blog warm for me!

Posted by Elli at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)