Butterfly Emerges
It's been such a long couple of days. It's only Wednesday, but it feels like it should be Friday. I just gotta say that keeping my hands busy with a knitting project did help keep my blood pressure somewhat under control (it didn't stop the bruising from banging my head against the wall, however). It was probably a good thing that I picked up all the stitches before CBS confirmed Florida to be in the wrong camp (at least by my definition). Otherwise, who knows what counting problems could have ensued....
I got a suggestion from Julie that instead of leaving the center stitches on the back free to knit accross, that I should actually bind them off and pick up stitches on the bound off edge. This might seem strange, but Julie felt that much of her extra arm length might have come from extra stretching across the back of the sweater. By binding off those stitches, some structure is enforced. So I bound those stitches off before picking up the 150 or so stitches needed for the collar. We'll see how it works out when I get a little farther.
In case it isn't obvious, this is a big, honkin' collar (being bunched up on a circular needle like that hides it's super-sized quality). I've gone through a whole skein of Kureyon and there's still and inch or more to go. This will mean that Butterfly will weigh in right about the 12 skein mark -- exactly as predicted by the pattern for my size. I really do like it when yardage is properly estimated.
If you are working on this pattern, be sure that you check out Jane Ellison's errata page for Noro Knits. There's a correction to the knitting of the collar that is critical for making it work out correctly.
Butterfly didn't turn out to be my lucky election sweater, but she's close to being finished now. So she still has a chance at being my new wardrobe addition for the weekend sweater.
That was a good change you made...combined with firmly bound off and sewn-together shoulder seams, I predict no monkey-arm problem.
Are you doing your Butterfly in Kureyon #92? I am also and the colors of yours look entirely different than mine. Just wondering.......
Beautiful Butterfly! Thanks for the link to the errata page - I just bought myself a copy of Noro Knits to make a Butterfly of my own, so you've saved me a bit of angst in the future. :)
Wow! Butterfly's looking awesome!
It's really looking lovely! A sight for sore eyes.
Thanks for mentioning the errata! I really want to make a Butterfly and would have forgotten to look for them.
Yours is beautiful. Seeing all these on various blogs has convinced me that I need one, too.
Ooh, very techno Theresa is that Madame Butterfly. It will be just the thing to lift the sagging spirits, plus it was too much to ask of an imported sweater yarn anyway. Maybe we should organize a Florida boycott of knitters--bad voters get no tourists...
Congrats on Butterfly; it is sure to be a great and beautiful wear!
Hey...atleast here in Florida we remembered HOW to vote this time. Perhaps next time they will think before they vote. You can't ask for everything all at once!!
She's looking so beautiful ! You're spurring me on to knit mine - there's a LOT more knitting in mine ! ;-]
It looks beautiful! Thanks for the information about the collar & sleeves...I'll have to keep that in mind :)
Just for the record Theresa, I was out all day Tuesday: at the market, at Walgreens, at JoAnn's Fabrics, at grad school and at the polls and everyone was voicing support for Kerry!! It surely wasn't SOUTH Floridians voting the *wrong* way :) I was shocked to see Florida in the *red zone* and very disappointed! At least we didn't elect Pat Robertson this time!
Your info on the butterfly has been so helpful - thanks!
Help! From what I can tell, you are supposed to pick up stiches for the coller from the WS of the fron pieces (purl side), but I'm not sure how to pick up from that side. Am I wron about picking up fro the WS
Lila