It's been so long since I've written an FO report, I forget how! Yikes. After months of toil on this project, it's finally complete.
UNRIPE BANANA AKA CHERRY
Yarn. Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton in Freesia. 7 and a smidge balls bought dirt cheap at Webs last spring.
Size. 36
Needles. Size 3 and 6 Addis
Time to Knit. July ?? to October 15. I knit the swatch last summer, though.
Other materials. 5 dark red buttons, chocolate brown velvet ribbon.
Comments on Pattern.
Well written and clear. You have to keep track of the stitch pattern as you decrease and increase, which might cause trouble for beginners. Overall, the stitch pattern keeps things interesting, but not overwhelming. It kept me engaged the duration of the project, which is quite a feat!
If you decide to make this definitely spring for an extra ball of yarn. For the size I made (and the size above, in fact), the pattern calls for 7 balls of yarn and I used a bit of an 1/8. Adn I didn't even make the string belt. You might have better luck, but I prefer to play on the safe side. Especially when it takes me a year to make a project.
The yarn.
Like tons of you out there, I'm a wool kind of girl. This cotton didn't make a full convert out of me, but I definitely enjoyed using it and give it two thumbs up. It's soft and light and makes a beautiful, drapey fabric. The yarn's quite splitty, but it is cotton. Oh, and as it's available in a boatload of colors, too, which makes it a nice go-to cotton.
Mods. I added some extra length. A standard for me. Not really a mod, but I used a tubular cast on.
Final Verdict. I'm loving this sweater. The only way I could love it any more would be if I finished it two months ago when it was still short sleeve cotton cardigan weather. Oh, I'll still wear it. Don't you worry. It fits well and matches the rest of my wardrobe. Destined to be a staple, I'm sure.
I have to admit I'm kicking myself for not casting off using the tubular method. The ribbing / castoff of the button band and collar look homeade to me. Blocking helped, but not enough for my critical eye.
Still to be done, but probably never will be because I'm lazy and there's newer projects out there. The yarn belt. And those little buttons that go between the big buttons to prevent gaping.
Comments
PS: I hear you on the lag with the finishing details of projects. I too often just want to get moving on to the next project by the time I've gotten to things such as buttons and ties...