Prequel | Part One | Part Two

It’s been an ongoing project for some time, and now it’s beginning to look like a real life garment! I’ve added this post to the Unraveled Wednesday linkup, with thanks to Kat for hosting.

Before we get into it – what advice can anyone give about blocking during a knit? I’d like to check how much growth I’ll get after blocking (the yarn is very bouncy) but I don’t want to store up any problems for myself, whether it’s picking up stitches again, or making my tension weird, or something I haven’t even thought of…

I realised somewhere along the way that I was doing two rows of garter stitch between the lace rows, not three, so that’s a thing. I think it’s a thing I’ve done consistently though, so I feel fine about it! Otherwise, I’ve proceeded as I laid out in the last post, following directions for the Ivy Sweater and comparing my sizing against a size ten long sleeve t shirt.

I was concerned about the size of the neckline for a while. My gauge is smaller than the pattern, which is generally fine since it’s an oversized pattern… but it occurred to me that the neckline is fitted. So until I had made the shoulders and joined it all up, I thought I might have to undo the cast on and work with the live stitches to get some extra stretch. But it goes over my head just as it is, with room for a ribbed collar, so I think it’ll be alright after all.

I’m considering, once I’ve knitted to the armpit (and I’m going to have to pick up the back and add more length to achieve that – I stopped a bit earlier than I should have), skipping ahead and making the neckline and then the sleeves before finishing the body. Both because those parts are fiddly and therefore easy to procrastinate, and because it’ll set my mind completely at rest about the fit in those areas. Or I’ll know something’s wrong and, in the worst case scenario of having to unravel, I won’t have as much to undo.

I need to be mindful, when comparing the knit to my guide size t shirt, that the cotton tee will stretch when worn in a way that I don’t want the jumper to. I’ll block it quite vigorously on the vertical to accentuate the pattern but I don’t want any horizontal gape in those yo stitches, especially.

Wish me luck as I continue on my quest!