Audrey A-Long

Trouble in Paradise

Hi All! Normally I would be trying to make a nice comment about our recent Audrey victory celebration -- big hoorays to Andrea and Kate! However, I have a little problem right now that I am not sure how to solve.

I have turned my office over looking for the Audrey labels and they hav gone completely missing! I have no idea what happened to them. The only thing I can speculate on is that they got near something that my cleaning lady normally empties into the trash. I think it happened while I was away on business.

This is a complete bummer for me, because I don't even have one for my Audrey (not that I've earned it yet, because I still need to rip out the neckline).

I am going to see if I can't order some new ones. In the meantime, all you finishers will have to be even more patient with me than normal until the new ones arrive.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the computer with all my Audrey e-mail died over the weekend (just the motherboard, the hard drives are fine) -- it's going to take a little while until I can get to the data that was stored there (meaning -- I can't even update the finishers map right now). Good thing I've got my trusty laptop! As soon as everything is back in order, I'll get the map updated.

It's Finished!!!

Here is my finished Audrey. I had to sew on the neckband twice, because it was too long. I took out a lace repeat, leaving 17 repeats, and re-sewed. Once I figured out how I liked it sewn, it was pretty easy. I guess I did a whip stitch, overlaying the neckband on the outside of the body. This is such a great pattern! I can't wait to make a sleeveless one, but that will be next summer. Thanks for knitting with me!!

Something new to wear is in my closet!

YES! My Audrey is completed! Am I pleased? Definitely. I think my first sweater turned out great. (My scanner isn't working,sorry no photo) I made mine using the color Jewel, which is beautiful as you can see from KarenR's recent entry. Very elegant.

I learned that seaming isn't something to be afraid of. It was pretty easy, actually. The neckband only took me one time to set it in. I basted it in with some waste yarn first, then seamed. I shortened the sleeve lengths just a little because I was afraid that it would grow to the intended length while wearing it. I didn't want really long sleeves for this sweater. Now, the sleeves are just right.

Also, a big thanks to Becky. for giving some tips on how to not do the darts. My darts from the original pattern just never looked as neat as I wanted them. Instead of giving in, or giving up, I moved the decreases and increases to the sides as Becky did.

Any wishes? Well, just a little. Bigger boobs. NO, I'm kidding. I'm definitely no Sophia Loren, but now I can see how the short rows as Becky also did on hers is still very appropriate for a figure with not much frontage. Though, the sweater fits great as is, but definately short rows are something I plan on trying another time on a fitted top like this one.

Thank you hostesses, this was a wonderful resource for me to have. Thanks also to all of you Audrey graduates that kept checking in on the rest of us until we finished.

Happy Knitting!

WIP photo

It's seems as if I joined the Audrey knitalong ages ago, but I have not posted any progress photos here. Well, that changes today! Here is the front (or back) of Audrey, plus two finished sleeves. The body should be larger after blocking. I love the color and this yarn (Galway Highland Heather by Plymouth) is easy to handle. I'd really like to have this finished by Thanksgiving (the one in the US, not Canada), so I can wear it on my visit in North Carolina.

(Cross-published on my blog, http://stitchcounter.typepad.com.)

One more thing!

I have an entire ball of Calmer/Amour left -- it only took me 6. Any ideas for a one ball project?

Elle est finie!

Thanks to everyone for your help with this project. I have been knitting for a long time, but this was in many ways the hardest sweater I've ever knit. I certainly learned a lot!

I, too, knit the Small and was extremely nervous when this skinny little body came off the needles, however, she fits fine. I did the side decreases a la Becky rather than the vertical darts, plus added short rows an inch and a half below the armholes in the front for some "bust ease." I shortened the sleeves by about an inch but now I'm a bit sorry because they are somewhere between bracelet and 3/4 length. C'est la vie.

Add Florida to the map, Theresa! And thanks again.

Audrey needs lace.

I completed knitting the lace, and boy, am I glad that part's done.
I just wanted advice on how to seam it in neatly and was wondering if you Audrey graduates could give some pointers.

Felica, I can't really find anything on the overcast seam to figure out how it's done.

Any tips would be great.

Thanks!

Help!

Everything is finished but the lace, which I have started three times now, the last time I made it up to repeat six, but then I make some dumb mistake and I can't figure out how to frog lace -- all those yrfns and yfws -- yikes! Someone mentioned "lifelines." I've looked in my two lace knitting books and there are no lifelines there. Can anyone throw me one? Thanks!

Finished in Canada...

Wow, I am certainly happy to finally be done this sweater - not that working with Calmer was not absolutely wonderful as many of you have already commented. I definitely see more Calmer projects in my future. This sweater is comfortable and soft and thanks to the stretchiness of the yarn, fits very nicely. Although I was anxious to get it done before diving into my fall projects it really is a great fall sweater for cooler days and I can see me wearing it right on into the middle of winter.

Notes: I had decided to lengthen the body by a couple of inches (before beginning the dart decreases) since it looked shorter than I wanted it to be in the Rowan photo, and was later a bit worried that this might not work out so well. I'm happy to report that the length turned out just about right. The only thing that I'm not 100% content with is the width of my lace neckband. I noticed that many of the finished Audreys have a wider neckband which I prefer - I probably should have used the larger needles instead of the smaller ones that I used for the first few rows of ribbing on each piece. This will not stop me from wearing it though as I love the color (it's 'Jewel' which is now discontinued). Since I wanted the neckband to sit on my shoulders, I ended up with 20 pattern repeats.

Overall, this has been a great knit-a-long and I will continue to watch as more and more of you complete your sweaters. I may just have to start a blog of my own!
By the way, has anyone washed their Audrey yet? I'm curious to know if there are tips out there or anything I should watch out for.
Thanks to our wonderful hostesses, great hearing from everyone and enjoy!

So close, but yet...

My darling Audrey lays in pieces on my floor. Blocked and ready for the S word. Seaming. Did I mention that this is my (quiet, hushed voice) first sweater? Well, it is. All the pieces look like they are made for each other, which is a good sign.

So, I'm asking for advice, which method did you use to seam her up? Any other tips or suggestions before I start? (I'm a little nervous, can you tell?)

OK, deep breath. I'll wait to hear from some reassuring voices from my fellow Audrey-ers.

Lace

Finally I am now starting the lace. Looking over the directions, I'd like to know what and how do I do the YFRN. Oddly, this abbreviation isn't even listed in the Rowan's Information Page!

What I could find on the YFRN, you bring the working yarn in front of the right needle as if to YO, then you wrap it around the right needle? Isn't that like a double YO??

Just want to be clear.

Thanks!