Completed Capelet

I was seaming like mad on Saturday in hopes of getting my capelet complete for the week. By Saturday afternoon it was all put together. I put it on and raced to a mirror.

And was terribly disappointed.

Why?

Big. The capelet was just too big. The nice woven motif hung down around the area of my navel when the capelet was situated evenly on my shoulders. So you don't get a victory shot. But I will show the finished product. Unfortunately, the picture leaves a little something to be desired. Gotta love grey fall/winter weather in Chicago. Believe it or not, this was probably the brightest space in my house this morning.

Goddess Capelet Completed

I think the biggest part of my disappointment, however, was not really that the garment was too big, but because I should have seen it coming. The garment is not too big because my gauge was off, or because I mismeasured things. Believe me, I checked those things many times. No, the garment turned out too big because of wishful thinking and because I didn't listen to my own instincts.

I should have done the math and realized that even the small was going to be too big for my body shape and size. Why didn't I? Well, it was the picture in the advertisement. That woman didn't look large, so I figured that a small would be find for me. Definitely not good logic. I had really thought that I had gotten beyond being bowled over by a picture, but apparently not.

But even if she doesn't fit me, she's still a lovely garment, and I'd just hate to have to go on a ripping expedition. About a year ago, I started working on a Charlotte's Web shawl -- a garment that I had intended for my mom, but which after I got it knit up, I decided I couldn't part with. As I look at this capelet that doesn't want to be from me, I'm wondering if it was really meant to be for Mom.

What did I learn?

• Even if a pattern doesn't come with a schematic, it pays to make one and consider it in the context of my own measurements.
• Bulky alpaca is wonderful, but it would be more wonderful at a slightly tighter gauge. Alpaca has no elasticity and almost no memory. Gravity can take a significant toll.
• Stay away from a three needle bind-off for bulky alpaca -- for the same reasons listed above. It's not a good seam to support a heavy weight garment that hangs from the shoulder.
• Don't trust a picture. I could have taken a picture for you of this capelet that would have made it look perfect just by hiking it up and letting an uneven amount of the garment fall behind my back.

This pattern has a few problems, they aren't insurmountable, but anyone interested in it should probably be aware that you will need to make a few small changes to the short-row shaping in order for them to work correctly. Also, my copy of the pattern completely lacked instructions for the right side neckline shaping. It's not so hard to reverse the instructions, but you do have to spend a little time thinking about it.

Sorry if this sounds a little distracted, there was a major fire in a downtown high-rise in Chicago and I've been watching the coverage all evening. Scary.