Not enough apparently.
Here is a photo of my latest knitting disappointment - The Talia that I've talked everyone else into knitting. Yes, the dear Talia is done. And it's absolutely HORRIBLE. There isn't a word for this - horrible isn't enough. Can we all say, "Ugggghhhh" in unison????
I finished sewing up the shoulder seams and was ready to do the edging to finish it off when I decided it looked a tad LARGE. So I tried it on.
Even if I wacked 5 inches off the huge lanky sleeves/arm area, I'd also have to pull it in several inches around the waist and hips to make it fit. And I am NOT small, folks, so you can imagine that I've knit a handmade TENT.
This after getting gauge when swatching?
I am so mad. Now I remember how I felt in 8th grade HomeEc class when I decided, after sewing one too many unflattering outfits that I would never sew again. This isn't fun. This is really flailing me.
If it weren't for lace right now, and an occasional successful sock, I'd be ready to stow away my yarn and needles out of frustration.
16 comments:
Uggghhhhhhhhh
How was that? I feel your pain, and I'll say it again...SWATCHES ARE BIG FAT LIARS!!!!!!
When was the last time you measured yourself? I'm thinking your eyes are much bigger than you are, since this isn't the first time something is too big. I really think you're imagining yourself bigger. Which can be nice. I mean, you're thinner than you think you are, right?
I agree with both tracy and Laura - I've had my gauge be dramatically LARGER as I'm knitting v. the swatch so I always check every couple of inches.
I also think some up to date measurements are in order.
One last suggest - I looked at Talia and while it is very cute I know I would look like a stuffed sausage in it no matter how tent like. I think it's a style that hard to wear unless you're 5'10" and "willowy". Do you have any vests/sweaters in this style that you wear now?
You need to take your favorite, best fitting store bought sweater and think about what makes it a favorite for you -- then incorporate those characteristics into what you hand knit!
Agreeing with Tracy, Laura, and Debi.
Smooches!
Well, I think the problem is, I knit loose. But I also do gauge swatches. And I don't know why - because every sweater, except two, have turned out huge and ugly. I knit 2 that fit, but they weren't cute on. I don't like them.
I need to stop knitting sweaters. Period!!!
Oh Chelle, that's a bummer! After all the enthusiasm you had for this project on our Ravelry group too. Sorry for the, um, unsatisfactory result. But don't give up -- take the good advice your friends have given you here and try again. You can do it!
Ugghhh ditto! I have recently done just that, put away the knitting kneedles and yarn for a period of time. I end up ripping everything I knit because the gauge is all off or like E's difficulty, color puddles funny. I have ripped 5 projects in the last couple of months and I am out playing in the dirt gardening on a regular basis now. I'll try the yarn again in a month or so. Hugs! Shelly in Omaha
Dagnabbit! Ditto what Laura said, also, I think you may be measuring from the wrong point on the shoulder straps. The bit where you work the shoulder straps for 9.25 inches (or whatever it is) is measured from the armit, not from the point where you get the straps narrowed down to their final width. Don't frog it yet! There's hope.
Yup! That's why I almost ALWAYS knit or crochet top-down sweaters, so I can try them on during the process to see if they fit!
Oh well, at least you learned a nice stitch pattern.
OMG the pix weren't here the first time I read this post. Aside from Ugggghhhhhh all I can say is Wow. But like Kay said, I agree there is still hope. Get out a sweater/top you like the fit of and lay this sucker on top of it matching the underarms.
That will show what to do with the shoulder straps. If the bust is too wide maybe an inverted pleat whipped stitched in the back and the front edges could be hemmed. (I'm not familiar with the pattern so I don't how a hem would look but I'll check it out and let you know what I think for sure.
Please don't rip it yet we'll get you through this and make it all right.
Well dang I just looked at the pattern...um yeah I'll have to think about a proper fix for this. That ribbing on the back is messing with the inverted pleat idea, and those lace/cablely bits in front are messing up the hemmed front idea.
But hey I can see why you urged people to make this top I love it!
OK, here is my four cents (inflated two cents). I say let's felt the sucker. It could be very cool. Since felting shrinks lengthwise, it would take up the slack.
Good news is we have all had something like this happen to a project we really loved. The disappointment is soon remedied by a good pair of socks.
Yeah, the bottom part (lacy part) of the bottom/hip area is what I LIKE, so I don't want to hem that. While I think the arm straps could be shortened/almost eliminated, I'd still have a very longish vest/dress. And it's too WIDE too, surprisingly. I swear to God, I think this thing massively GREW while I carefully washed/blocked it (hand washed in the sink of course).
I recently listened to Kelley Petkin's Knitpicks podcast where she talked about the importance of washing/blocking the swatch before considering it accurate. I have to say, after this, I agree. Lamb's Pride stretches considerably while washing apparently.
BTW, I have measured myself - I do that every month for Weight Watchers (not that the measurements are going DOWN or anything, they stay pretty much the same unfortunately.
Ellen, you are right, the only sweaters I have knit to fit (the 2 that died) were top-down.
I mean the two sweaters that DID not Died. They probably died too, since they hang in my closet mostly unworn.
The truth is, I don't like pullovers because I get too hot in them, and those were the two that fit. That's why I had such high hopes for this sweater vest. Oy!!! I'm too annoyed to fix it right now. I didn't get started in knitting to become a seamstress. I don't like or care about messing with garment construction.
I just went and looked at the pattern and yours doesn't even look like the same 'species' let alone garment......
I too am a loose knitter and I also have problems with some 'pattern' stitches not coming out quite the way I expected.
I would recommend switching to Knitting Pure and Simple top down patterns -- they have vests and cardicans too.
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