Brilla Back

This would have been up last night except for the fact that this yarn does not lend itself well to flash photography -- its very reflective stuff and every picture I took looked washed out. It's a beautiful day in Chicago this morning, so I unpinned the back of the top from my blocking board and took it out to get some sun.

I should have taken a "before blocking" picture just so everyone could see the difference, but let me say that blocking is a good thing and I still can't believe I went for so long thinking that a) I didn't need to do it and b) it's hard to do. Because a) it makes your garments look so much more polished and b) it's not hard at all.

What makes this top special, however, is not the blocking, but the pretty cable detail around the neck. I was a little worried about the slate colored yarn not showing up the cables, but figured that the reflective properties of the yarn would probably compensate for the dark color.

So far I am pleased with both the pattern and the yarn. The yarn is pleasant to work with -- it moves easily and is not abrasive. However, because of it's nature it is not a "perfect stitch" sort of yarn. The texture ends up a little uneven, a quality which I like, especially for a little summer tank. I did modify the pattern a little bit, opting for only 12" below the armhole shaping instead of 13" as the pattern calls for. I'm a little on the short-waisted side and didn't want a lot of extra fabric flaring over my hips.

I've only found one "error" in the pattern -- the schematic diagram in the book says 7" for the armhole height while the instructions say 7-1/2" for the smallest size (it's shifted for all the sizes). I opted for the size in the diagram because I want a little snugger fit and would like to be able to wear a bra under it without showing it off too much.

This top would be a great project for anyone wanting to try out cabling -- there's not too much and the cable is simple. I used the opportunity to try out Wendy's recipe for cabling without a cable needle. It's definitely a handy technique, but I am not sure I would want to do it for big cables (i.e. cables where you had more than 2-4 stitches to worry about) because there is a lot of potential for dropping stitches.

Meanwhile, I am trying to resist the call of Charlotte's Web. I have to admit though, the only thing that is holding me back is that both of my size 6 AddiTurbos are tied up in other projects (I cast on the front of the tank top and John's sweater) and I just can't justify buying another pair of size 6 circulars right now... Must finish tank top.... must finish tank top..