Audrey A-Long

Changes Underway

Hi Everyone!

First of all, everyone who has finished Audrey and sent me an email about it (see the marks I've made around your name in the side bar), your labels are on their way to you.

Here's the updated map of the US (there's no update for the world map because no new countries have been added there):

create your own personalized map of the USA

Second, I've updated the blogging software from Movable Type 2.661 to Movable Type 3.01D (they changed their license pricing, and I decided it was time to get on board and do the right thing to support their continued efforts to bring the world a great blogging software product). This shouldn't make much difference to most people, I think all the basics are the same, but if you have problems, let me know.

Also, it seems as if SixApart has changed the commenting model for MT. If you make a comment and it doesn't show up right away, please don't panic and please don't submit your comment more than once. I'm still trying to figure out how to make the software auto-approve comments correctly.

Knit 3, Rip 2

I think I need to take a sedative before knitting Audrey. So many people have commented how much they love knitting with Calmer, but I'm still finding it a difficult beast to tame. It's so slippery and stretchy and I periodically end up with extremely loosey-goosey stitches, which my perfectionist streak can't tolerate. Like the little engine in the storybooks, I have to chant "I think I can, I think I can..." to myself as I go along.

Tag, I'm it!

I got my Audrey label the other day. Thank you so much! I can't wait to get it stitched into my sweater. This has been fun!

Deb in NJ

Knit On! No-Sew Lace Edging

Here is an explanation of how I knit Audrey's lace edging directly onto the neck edge. Please keep in mind that this is my own idiosyncratic method (with emphasis on the idio!). The symbols I use are not entirely standard and if something is not clear, please let me know and I'll do my best to help. If you find a mistake in the chart or directions, I'll make a correction and repost.

I knit Audrey in the medium size (36 in/91 cm). As I mentioned in my earlier post, I decided at the "shape armhole" point to join front, back and sleeves and knit in the round to the neck edge.

At the underarm, front and back each had 102 stitches and each sleeve 76 (356 total). I cast off six stitches at each edge (the five stitches called for in the pattern plus a selvedge stitch). I combined the four pieces on a circular needle and commenced working in the round on 308 stitches. I ended up charting the decreases because the differing rates of decrease on the front/back and sleeves kept confusing me. I was traveling a great deal and it was very helpful to be able to check off the rows as I completed them.

I arrived at the neck edge with 216 stitches--70 stitches each, front and back; 38 stitches for each sleeve. Several participants had mentioned 21 pattern repeats so I made the executive decision that I would work that many too. I needed a multiple of 21 stitches, so on the last round, at the center of each sleeve, I knit 2 knit rib stitches together, purled 2 purl rib stitches together, and SSKed the next 2 knit rib stitches together. You can see the result at the arrow in the photo below. This decreased the neckline by six stitches (three on each sleeve) and gave me 210 stitches total. My reasoning was that since I was going with a wider neckline, "cupping" the shoulders slightly couldn't hurt anything and the reduction would be less visible there.

Next, I had to figure out how to distribute the decreases at the neck edge as I went along. The lace pattern has 12 rows, and every other row (the odd-numbered rows in the diagram below) would meet the neck edge. So those six rows would have to consume 10 edge stitches in each pattern repeat to use up the 210 stitches evenly. On rows 1,3,7 and 9 I would consume two stitches from the neckline (using SSSK) and on rows 5 and 11 I would consume one stitch (SSK). I used the crochet-chain method of provisional cast on to cast on 12 stitches. This method of casting on is explained in the Winter 2002 issue of Knitty.

I turned the edging and worked Row 1 (from right to left) of the chart below ending by working the last lace stitch with two stitches at the neck edge in the SSSK at the end of the row. For Row 2, I turned the edging and worked the chart left-to-right. The chart can be worked exactly as written; no reversing is necessary for the "wrong" side. Row 3 was worked also using SSSK but when I got to Row 5, I only worked one stitch from the neck edge with the last stitch of the lace border using SSK.

Mind the Gap

I started knitting Audrey several months ago, but found myself terribly frustrated over the uneven stitches with my ribbing. Feeling defeated, I decided to try to find some other project for which I could use my Calmer yarn--one which didn't involve any ribbing. This meant more swatching and testing out different needles.

Something happened while I was knitting swatch after swatch. I gradually became comfortable knitting with this very elastic and slippery yarn. My stitches evened out and I began to enjoy myself. From all the rave reviews I had heard about the yarn, I knew this had to be possible and I'm glad that my persistance has paid off.

Because I've finally got into the groove with this yarn, I'm going to resume knitting Audrey. I'm feeling really inspired by all the photos of the beautiful sweaters you have been posting here!

Unfortunately, I've run into a bit of a problem. I'm just now starting to work the increases on the back piece and I keep ending up with huge holes in my fabric. I'm just doing the standard right- and left-leaning M1 increases where you pick up the strand of yarn between two stitches and twist it when working it so you theoretically prevent any holes from forming.

Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do to correct it?

FINITO!

My Audrey is finished! You can see photos of me wearing it over at my site. To see them, follow me here: Finished Audrey (P.S. There is also a photo of me posing on a Piaggio Vespa! Vroom, vroom!)

Project notes: I did Audrey in the XS size, using Calmer in "Amour". I lengthened the torso by about 2 cm because i) I have a long torso, and (ii) the sleeves, which I had knit first, seemed very long. [Note: My sleeves were at the measurement called for in the pattern.]

Something else that I should note is that I did not do the darts as called for in the pattern. I didn't notice that the sweater had vertical darts when I saw the photo of the sweater in the mag, but discovered it later when I looked at the pattern. From the beginning I was considering omitting them, and in the end I did. However, I wanted my Audrey to have waist shaping, because I think it's important in order for the sweater to have that pinup-y look. [Wiggles eyebrows.] So I simply moved the increases and decreases to the sides, two stitches inside. I did the increases as called for in the pattern, BUT I had to do the decreases over a different number of rows, as the decreases in the darts are DOUBLE decreases. As the decreases I did were single decreases, I simply worked them over half the number of rows established in the pattern. I will not reproduce pattern specifications here (or via email) for copyright reasons, but let's say that if a pattern calls for double decreases every "X" number of rows but you want to change those double decreases to single decreases, then you'd have to do them over HALF the number of "X" rows stated in the pattern.

Now. While I did do away with vertical darts, I didn't do away with darts entirely because even though I'm petite, I do have a bust. In order to avoid the ribbing from stretching out over the chest area, I decided to work an invisible HORIZONTAL BUST DART via short rows about 1 inch and a half below the armhole shaping of the front piece. To figure out where I wanted my dart, I held up the front piece in front of the mirror and took note of where I wanted to put it. [An inch and a half below the armhole worked for me, but another measurement might work for you. Hold up the piece against yourself while looking in the mirror, and take note of where the widest part of your chest is. That's where you want to put the dart.] Then, when I knit the front piece and reached where I had marked below the armhole, I simply worked short rows three stitches in from the edge. I wrapped three stitches every two rows twice. [Again, this measurement worked for me. If you're smaller you might need to work less, and if you're bigger you need to work more.]


Here is a photo that shows the bust dart AND the waist shapings (which are invisible when the sweater is worn) on my Audrey:

The result: No vertical darts, but we still achieved a form-fitting pinup-y Audrey. [Fact: My husband wriggled his eyebrows when he saw me in the sweater. Hee!] If you want to work a similar dart and shapings on your Audrey like I did on mine you can consult the following references:

To calculate HOW and WHERE to work a horizontal bust dart I used:

Vogue Knitting Ultimate Knitting Book.

Good references for working short rows (you can also find instructions for decreases/increases here):

Katharina Buss's Big Book of Knitting
Nancie Wiseman's Book of Finishing Techniques.

The start of something pretty

Finally, after frogging my first attempts at the darts, I think I finally have got it now. ( I'm still decreasing)

I'm purling the marked st on the RS, and knitting the marked st on the WS. So far, it looks like the decreases Julie did. (Thanks Julie...and thanks for your suggestion in my previous post).

I've been thinking, tell me what y'all think. I'm thinking about not doing the darts on the back side. Am I a wimp, or what?

Funny Face

Two sleeves and half a body were knit in k2, p2, the challenges of increasing and decreasing were overcome, the yarn is fabulous, the design is lovely, all of the finished sweaters are breathtaking, and yet... Audrey wasn't working for me. The mirror assessment a la Bonne Marie tipped the scale and I'm sorry to say that I'm a knit-along drop-out.

Audrey has been transformed into something completely different and oh, so yummy. Audrey, Audrey, Calmer... Cromarty!

Oh, 's wonderful, 's marvellous...

stuck

Oh dear my poor Audrey seems to be stuck in limbo. After having spent many a frustrating hour trying to do the decreases and ripping and ribbing I can't seem to get past the beginning of the second sleeve.
All the finished Audreys are so beautifull that I hoped that this would inspire me to finish mine but alas to no avail. Hopefully once the cooler weather is upon us my Audrey will come back to life since I am knitting her as a winter sweater in a wool alpaca mix. I thought that this would be more appropriate since, even in cottin, Audrey is too warm for a Greek summer. For the time being I'm knitting a cotton bra-type top and waiting for a jolt to restart Audrey.

Stalled at you know where!

Yes, the decreases are wreaking havoc on my production of Audrey. Darn it! After several hours of quiet time devoted to her, I can't get past the decreases. I've read and reread the entries from all of you who have finished, and Norma's pictures are awesome (Thanks, Norma!), however my decreases just don't look right. I wish that these instructions were written with much more detail, it seems the pattern is assuming that I know what it is they decided not to mention because they figured, "Everyone knows THAT!" Well, whatever THAT is, I wish I knew.

I think my problem is this, when I get to the Work 7 rows after the first decreases,on the wrong side row I should PURL that marked st. So, does that mean on the right side row, I knit it as it presents itself or just the opposite???

I'm finished

I seamed Audrey over the weekend and here she is. I made the size medium and used about 6 1/2 skeins in the Peacock color. I'm really happy with the way she fits and feels. I loved working with Calmer, too. A lovely yarn. I've so enjoyed seeing all the finished Audreys and I can't wait to see all the future ones! It's extra fun to see them in the different colors. I have additional pictures on my blog today.

Not head of the class, but not a drop out either!

I think I'm the last one to get started on lovely Audrey. This is my very first knit along, and though I just casted on this morning, I have been reading all of your entries and love seeing all of the completed beauties!! When I saw Theresa's post about the special little gift all the participants who have completed Audrey would be getting, I certainly did not want to miss out.

I picked Jewel for my Audrey. I would love to get to wear her this fall, but late winter and early spring would be just fine, too!

Late Start, but moving along

I'm guessing that I'm the last person to start my Audrey. Now I know what the rest of you already know. This is a lot of fun and Rowan Calmer is wonderful yarn. I started with a sleeve and it's now finished. I've just started one of the body pieces. The color I chose is Peacock. It was hard to decide as I like a lot of the colors. Last weekend I stopped into a local yarn shop and found, and gave into, Zeal. What a pretty purple. I don't know what I'll make with it yet. Oh, and I've gotten caught up with the postings... have read every one of them! Thanks.

In the Post

I finally got myself to a post office yesterday and got the first batch of labels sent out. Teri, Janet, Anne and April -- your labels are sitting on my desk, patiently waiting for my next trip.

Just because I love statistics, we now have 74 participants in the knit a along and 18 have finished Audreys.

Wanna see where our US finishers are from?

create your own personalized map of the USA

Or the world-wide representation?

create your own visited country map

The best represented state so far is California. Three Audreys have taken up residence there! We have an equal number of finished in the UK and 2 from Germany.

I can't wait to see where everyone else is from! Maybe someday even the state of Illinois will make it onto the map....

WWKT--What Was Kim Thinking?

This Audrey A-Long is the first knitalong to tempt me out of perpetual lurkerdom. I've followed many others. They invariably make me take a hard second look at a design I might have passed over and the individual variation in interpretation of the pattern drafters' instructions is endlessly educational. Audrey is a case in point. Fascinated with Rowan's Calmer after Clara Parkes' review in Knitters Review, I was fortunate to win an eBay auction for a bag of the discontinued color Zeal.

Unfortunately, when the bag arrived, I had none for the color--a true purple, not the inkier color of the seller's (and Rowan's) picture. It was destined to make another trip on eBay. And when I originally saw the Audrey pattern, I have to admit I wasn't taken with it. I wondered how the combination of fitted ribs and garter stitch lace edging came to Kim Hargreaves. What could she have been thinking? Then the Audrey A-Long rolled over me, with its wonderful blog design, creative hostesses and gin fizz recipe. Maybe the pattern had something to recommend it after all. I had to find a copy of Rowan #35 and get going!

I decided to follow the pattern exactly and was hauling up on the underarm bind-off, knitting the front and back simultaneously, when Maud posted the picture of her beautifully finished Audrey. There, in her photo, I could see the exact point at which this baby was going to slow to stall speed and plummet from the firmament. Audrey would officially join my UFO stash when it came time to sew those raglan seams. I have such a finishing fetish that the combination of the stretchy yarn and the close fit of the garment clearly would drive me to a perfectionistic frenzy. There was nothing for it but to knit the sleeves up to the same point, cast off the extra selvedge stitches along with the underarm stitches and march up to the shoulders in the round. I graphed out the different sleeve and body decrease rates to keep track of them. Ah yes, this was better.

Temporarily. Now here was the collar. What was there to lose? I made a decision there WOULD be 21 pattern repeats (the math worked with a small fudge factor), used provisional cast-on and knit that sucker right to the unbound-off neck edge. I wove the beginning of the collar to its end and procrastinated over the straight side and sleeve seams for a while. But Audrey's done now, I've found a certain fondness for Zeal and I'm now knitting the lower garter lace edge onto ANOTHER entirely ribbed and stretchy sweater--Cloud from the Calmer pattern book.

Thank you fellow Audrey knitters! And thank you Theresa, Becky, Morgan and Lis! This was fun.

April

So Close!

I just joined, but I've been Audrey Alonging All Along with my friend Regina who just posted her beautifully completed Tinkerbell. I've been stuck at this stage for a few weeks now and thought that maybe if I "officially" joined I might get the incentive to finish her up! I've knitted two sleeveless shells while procrastinating over completing the neckband pattern repeats. Has anyone else had this knitting problem with getting so close to being done but not finishing up? I'm wondering if it's because the Calmer is such a dream to knit that I'm trying to savor it!

Slow and Steady

It's awesome to see all the beautiful finished sweaters showing up on this blog. We now have a veritable rainbow of Audreys! Y'all are very inspirational. So much so that I actually finished the back of my Audrey while on a short vacation in Texas. At the rate I am going, I should have this sweater all done by Christmas!

I did struggle a little bit with the decreases and increases. Not from a technical perspective, but from a counting and placing my markers in the right place perspective. (There's a reason I am a biologist and not a mathematician). So a good deal of ripping did occur while the back came together.

When I was coping with my problem, it was great to have all the images here to take a look at for reference. Sometime soon I'm going to get categories going better here on the blog so that it's easy to find all the good advice and information.

I'm not going to post a picture of the completed back (you've all seen plenty of those), but I did want to post some closeups of the shaping as described in the pattern for anyone who might need the same kind of help I did over the weekend.

 
Decreases and Increases

Note: both of these shots are taken from the left side of the piece as you look at it. The shot on the left is the waist shaping, the shot on the right is for the bust line darts.

One thing I learned the hard way is this: when you place your markers (at least for the small size, but probably for the rest as well), you should place them between two K2 and P2 groups. This ensures a nice channel of purl stitches on the right side that sets off the shaping elements. Also, be sure to use the right kind of M1 when you make 1. There are left and right leaning versions of the make one stitch. I couldn't remember both (that'll teach me not to bring my Knitter's Companion with me at all times), so one side of the increases looks a little better than the other. I didn't worry too much b/c this is the back of the sweater. But you can bet I won't forget for the front.

I'm actually quite taken with the increases and decreases as designed. I know not everyone likes the look (and seeing the alternatives is part of what makes this blog so fun), but I think once again, Kim Hargreaves made a great design decision.

P.S. to all the finishers that have sent me email: I haven't forgotten you. I actually have a nice little pile of envelopes on my desk waiting to go out. It's just taking me a while to get to the post office. Hopefully they will all get in the mail by Saturday at the latest. Sorry I'm such a slow poke!

Ta Da !

Well, I finally finished ! I really love this sweater. It's so soft. I wanted to take a second to thank our hostesses for donating their time, money and energy to give us this great web site. It's been a real pleasure knitting along! This was only my 2nd 'flat' knitted sweater. It took me a while, but I managed to seam it up with the invisible mattress stitch. So I have a great feeling of accomplishment. I look forward to seeing everyone else's finished Audreys. Good Luck!

Thanks for all the great comments

Hi,

I just wanted to say thanks for the great comments. Yesterday was my first post. The color of my Audrey is "Tinkerbell" . I followed the pattern exactly the way it was written. I have only been knitting for a year, but I learned so much form following this blog! For the neckline, I used 19 repeats, but I may have to take one out. I'll know better when I start sewing. I live in the Boston area, so I expect I'll be able to wear this in September or October.

Ready for a seaming party???

Wow! Almost finished! Loved the Periwinkle color. I didn't notice anyone else who choose this - so thought I'd show you all! As Becky sez "Ready for a seaming paaatayyy?!!! Hopefull this will get seamed up this weekend, and the final shot will be here soon! Thanks one and all for your comments, inspiration and terrific advice! I couldn't have done it without you!