theraineysisters knitting and so much more

I just finished a cute, wearable cardigan: Always There by Joji Locatelli.  The pattern had some issues, but then so did I!!  The yarn was purchased at BeWoolen — my LYS and home away from home!  Just 1.4 miles away, it’s not only close, but well stocked with nice yarn and even nicer people!

Here is my finished cardigan.  I made several mods to the pattern itself, but looking at it you wouldn’t know.

It fits perfectly, except the sleeves may be a bit too long.  I will wear it a couple of times to make sure and then might shorten them.

The yarn is their own BeWoolen DK, color Midsummer Sky.  I snagged it on their official opening weekend, so it has been marinating a while.  As with any hand-dyed yarn, you have to expect some variation.  So what I did instead of alternating skeins was to change skeins at section breaks — when changing from stockinette to twisted rib for instance.  It really worked!  The color changes created broad stripes, instead of  color breaks in the middle of a section.  One of the skeins was a true outlier.  I would not have used it at all but I realized I needed every gram!  It forms the lightest stripe in the low end of the sweater, but somehow in the sleeves, it caused hideous white stripes!

Because I matched the skeins on the sleeves, both sleeves had the same hideous striping.  So, I tie dyed them!  I bought turquoise tie dye and dyed the bad sections!  As I was slathering on the dye, I suddenly realized that it could go horribly wrong, but it was too late!  All I wanted was to add a little blue color to the white areas, so I didn’t let it set very long.  I immediately soaked and blocked it.  The results: perfection, and shock that it worked!!

ETA: I used Tulip One-Step Tie Dye, color Turquoise.  I used the refill powder and mixed it with more water to make the color lighter, testing it on white fabric.  I applied it to the white areas and kind of massaged it in.  I placed the treated sleeve areas in a bowl of salted vinegar water for a short time to set the color, then soaked and blocked as usual.  The tie dye instructions say to wait 6-8 hours, but I waited closer to 6-8 minutes!!

After it dried, I went to sew on the buttons.  I harvested gorgeous glass buttons off an older sweater that I no longer wear.  As I was marking where to sew them I realized I had made a mistake…

1. Buttonholes need to be evenly spaced.  I do this by counting sts in between the buttonholes — or in the case of ribbing, the ribs between buttonholes.
2. Knitters can’t count.

Okay, then.  I had miscounted the ribs between two buttonholes!  9 instead of 8 like the others.  The extra space wouldn’t be noticeable between the buttonholes, but it would be noticed between my stunning buttons.  I thought it was beyond fixing, but of course it bothered me.  So, I cut the bind off yarn, ripped back the bind off across the bottom two buttonholes, and re-positioned them one rib higher.  It’s funny because at the time I thought the last buttonhole seemed like it was closer to the bottom than I had planned.  Listen to that little voice in your head!!  I could have fixed it much easier when knitting the band!!!

So the problems are fixed, except for the sleeve length.  I will hold off on judgment until it’s worn.  Sometimes sleeves creep up when you wear a shirt underneath.  I am super pleased with this after all is said and done.

And I have never understood people who don’t block their knitting!!  This thing was FUGLY before I blocked it, but I had hope!!!  This picture was taken moments before my tie dye extravaganza!!  😉

PS to Christina — I don’t really have any advice for you on this.  I’ve never done a faux buttonband so have no advice to offer.  Maybe post your question on Ravelry, either in the Techniques secton or within Joji’s Ravelry group.