I’d made decent progress on Flight of the Valkyrie, and then I split for the sleeves and just couldn’t get comfortable with it.
After posting last week, I split a bit early to check the fit, and based on that experiment decided I didn’t actually need to make it any bigger with the raglan increases suggested by pattern. So I frogged the two raglan increases I’d done and split at that earlier point.
Then there were suddenly a number of things I didn’t like! What had looked so pleasing laid flat on the table looked off on my body. The waves were too far over to the shoulder. When I turned it round, the waves on the ‘back’ looked good, and the shape was much better, but there was an obvious line where the BOR was. Looking at the pictures now, compared to last weeks, I had also turned it inside out at one point which, let’s face it, won’t have helped matters.
I realise that by not sticking to the pattern, I was immediately open to self-created problems. But sometimes problem solving is how you learn stuff.
I tried over-stitching to camouflage the line of weirdness. I continued knitting more waves, ending with a couple of MC waves (an innovation I particularly liked). But by now I was starting to dislike the bulkiness of the garter stitch, especially round the arm.
I knitted on 3.5mm needles in order to get gauge – but what I didn’t do was wash and block my swatch. I guess using the larger-than-recommmended needle (the pattern uses 3.25mm) gave me looser waves. After putting on and taking off lots of times, the fabric looked a bit raggedy. The acrylic yarns were also starting to fuzz up a bit in protest. Plus that BOR line was totally still there.
I sat it aside overnight, tried on one last time in the morning, then frogged the lot. This is the first time I’ve done a multi-post project that hasn’t made it to the end! But I would never have been happy with it, there was no point trying to push ahead. I’ve already started a new project with the yarn. Onwards, ever onwards.
This is Light of the Valkyrie (Knitty link to free pattern) by Kim McBrien Evans (designer’s site, Indigo Dragonfly). If I try making it again, I’ll use a lighter DK, with 3.25mm needles, and gradient or variegated yarn (and not an inexpensive acrylic). I *might* try going down a size or working between two sizes? Even though I got gauge it did measure bigger than it should have, in the end. I would consider making the wave pattern in stockinette, not garter, to reduce bulk. If I did, I’d form them starting with 4 stitches, then increasing 2 stitches either side until preferred width, then reducing again by 2 stitches each side.
The Crafty Yarnster 