Onde Finish Line
There was no way I was going to go into the weekend being so close to sweater completion without finishing my Phil'Onde sweater. I finished it Friday night, but a wedding and bad weather got in the way of any photos on Saturday. Here's the results from Sunday's photo shoot:
"Le Pull" in Phil'Onde Cholorphylle, Front and Side Views
A Phil'Onde Hourglass
So there you have it! One of my favorite projects of the year so far. It's not a complicated sweater, which is just fine, because the yarn is complicated enough -- having both the color gradient and a boucle texture. There is just a little bit of shaping to make it pinch in at the waist just a little bit. But other than that, it's the ribbing that is doing all the work.
It's hard to describe how light and airy the sweater is. Even though it's composed of about 600 g of yarn, it has a light-as-a-feather quality about it. I think this is achieved due to a combination of the texture and gauge and composition of the yarn. Phil'Onde is a fairly fine yarn (somewhere between sport and DK weight) so you wouldn't expect it to work well knit on 5 mm (US 8) needles. But the nubbly texture works in your favor here and sort of fills in the nooks and crannies. I think the fact that this yarn is mostly acrylic also works in my favor -- a lightweight springy garment is less susceptible to the ravages of gravity.
And I guess it goes without saying that I'm happy I fixed that first sleeve cap. I was a little worried that the sleeves were going to feel kind of tight with the ribbing. As it turns out, they are wonderful and loose. I think over time they will bell a little bit at the wrist.
One of the nice things about a simple sweater is that I can focus on the details. For this sweater to come off well, it was important that I do a good job of setting in the sleeves and finishing the neckline.
Neck line detail
The neckline finishing is simple and elegant -- a row of crocheted chain stitch followed by two rounds of single crochet. I haven't always been successful when it comes to getting crochet to lay flat, but this worked out well, I think.
Set-In Sleeves Accomplished!
But the detail that I am most proud of is the setting-in of the sleeves. I was worried that it would be difficult to get the ribbing to look right. I did a lot of ripping as I attached the sleeves to make subtle corrections that would get everything lined up correctly. It took me a lot more time than I thought it would, but I think the results are worth it.
So what did I learn on this project?
- Set-in sleeves are a little more challenging, but a very flattering look for me (at least I think so!).
- I have more tolerance for doing an all over ribbed sweater than I would have imagined.
- Phildar patterns are well written and easy to follow. I could have almost done the pattern from the schematic alone! I think they have some of the best pattern schematics around. It also pays to have a few people who can help you with the nuances of French patterns (thanks, Becky!).
- Not everything acrylic is a bad thing.
- Ripping is good for the soul and even better for the finished look of the project
- There will be more Phildar projects going on for me this summer.
I've had a lot of people ask me "where did you get the Phil'Onde?" My Phil'Onde arrived special delivery from Lyon, courtesy of a blogging buddy who has easy access to all things Phildar. But I'm very excited because I know a little secret that I've been allowed to share -- I'm now going to have a source of Phildar yarns in the US. According to Rob, ThreadBear is going to have the whole spectrum of Phil'Onde sometime in June. Finally a US retail source of Phildary goodness!
I'll leave you with this shot of my Beezle doing his best to imitate Claudia's Igor. No sooner had I finished this sweater and folded it on my desk than he decided to lay down on it and "claim" it for his very own pillow. Apparently I am not the only one who appreciates French yarn.
Who's Sweater is it Really?
Congratulations of finishing the sweater!! it suits you really!!
eve
Wow, Theresa, the Onde pullover looks fantastic on you, and you did such a lovely job finishing it! All that ripping certainly paid off. Congrats on a fabulous sweater! You really can't blame the cat for trying to claim it as his own...
It looks fantastic! Really work the attneiton to detail - and sleeve cap ripping!!!
It looks fantastic! Really work the attneiton to detail - and sleeve cap ripping!!!
Oh yes ! Fantastic !
That is a great sweater on you.So flattering.Your attention to detail and impeccable finishing are admirable and inspiring.
Fab !
x
I love the color changes. You did a nice job.
Lovely job on the finishing, Theresa! Your sweater looks beautiful! And I'm so glad you re-did that sleeve cap.
Very nice job ...be proud.. it looks wonderful!
I agree -- set in sleeves are a good look for you. More work, but worth it. The crochet was also a good choice for the neck. The nubbiness of the yarn sort of hides the crochet-ness of it, which is usually my issue with crochet on knits.
And Beezle is extra cute.
It looks fabulous on you. The colour and the style really suits you. Kind of makes all the ripping worthwhile, doesn't it?
Gorgeous!! This sweater is one of my favorite things I've seen you do. It fits you perfectly and is very flattering. What a lovely shade of green, too. So happy to hear that Threadbear will be carrying some Phildar!
Theresa, you did a perfect job both in the knitting and finishing and the finished product is just stunning on you! I think it's the prettiest sweater I have ever seen on you, in fact Phildar should use your pic in their ads!
Brava, well done! Enjoy your lovely creation!
Great job on the sweater! The extra care you paid to seaming the sweater really shows too. It's really a nice sweater.
An absolutely beautiful sweater! You put a lot of work into it, and it shows. Great job!
Can I ask which Phildar book you got the pattern out of? This may have to go on my list of Things To Do.
Well done! The finishing looks great, and the sweater is lovely and very flattering. Good work!
I know I'm a few days behind on commenting on this topic, but I wondered if your PALM program would be compatable with other PDA? I use a Compaq iPAC but would love to use your tracking program!
Tres bien, like a shiny green apple that one!
Theresa, I love the Onde sweater! It fits perfectly and I adore the colour. Great job!
Its wonderful! You did a great job - I see more set in sleeves in your future!
Beautiful, Theresa!! It really looks wonderful on you.
Threadbear's gonna carry Phil'onde? *dies* Now I have no excuse!!! Excellent. I'm all about the orange/fuchsia colourway!
Oh yeah, it looks awesome!
its absolutely beautiful, not many people can carry that color off but you do and it looks stunning , really pleased for you!!!!!
Wow! The sweater is gorgeous! And the crochet neckline is perfect! I can only hope mine will look this good when I finally finish it!
What a beautiful sweater! The colour looks great on you.
Wow! I've been admiring your knitwork, and this is just an amazing sweater. The finishing details are so professional...and the color is just perfect! Great job!
Wow, that looks so elegant on you. I love ribbed sweaters. Wonderful job.
I LOVE THE RIBBED ONDE!!! I can't wait for one of my own. I'm going to go with the pink/orange combo. Bright as all get out, but colors that look really good on me. I was bursting at the seams when I found out the boys would be carrying Phildar. I'm going to hold out until their shipment comes in.
Your sweater is beautiful; I wish I could wear something like that. It has been fun watching your progress and seeing the finished treasure.
Well I'm a bit late on this one, but that's one Onde-licious looking sweater! Perfect for my hometown SF!
Yay, it's all finished! It looks fabulous on you. Excellent job! And what good news about Phildar coming to Threadbear. I hope they carry more of their yarns. I'll be a regular customer, for sure!
Love it! It's a perfect style for you, all that ribbing shows off your figure. Now does your husband want the men's model in Jeans? Great news about Threadbear.
What a great looking sweater! You did a great job of knitting. The shawl is beautiful, too. The colors are just yummy!
Wow! That's a gorgeous sweater - great job! Looks fab on you!
C'est magnifique! I followed a link from Bonne Marie's page to look at your wonderful sweater. Quite elegant and I love that green.