Everyday Tweed

While I wait for the camera batteries to charge so Mr Fix-it can get a few shots on this beautiful early fall afternoon, I thought I'd go ahead and update the blog with my latest FO. Everyday Tweed is off the needles and currently being worn by yours truly until the above mentioned photo shoot is over. (It is cool today for early fall in Virginia, but not cool enough to wear wool/silk/cashmere for the rest of the afternoon. I do, however, have wool socks on my feet. Fall is coming!)

Vital statistics:

Pattern: Everyday Tweed by Marie Grace Smith

Yarn: Queensland Kathmandu DK purchased from Quality Fibers on Ebay (8 whole skeins and part of a ninth. 10 called for.)

Needle: Size 7 Addi Turbo

Size: M (for a chest size 38--finished size right around 40-41")

Start Date: August 20, 2007 (or thereabouts)

Finish Date: September 12, 2007
Modifications:

• Knit the body longer than called for.
• In the original the neck was scoopier than I would like, or would look good on me, so I fudged after getting to the underarms on my first attempt. The neckline dropped below my bustline--don't care who you are, not a good look. So I ripped and started over only doing half the number of rows/increases before casting on the front stitches and joining to knit in the round. It was easy to come up with the number needed by finding the total I had for the back, them subtracting how many I already had on the front. The total left was how many I cast on for the front. I then continued to do the raglan increases as called for in the pattern. In my version, as well as the original, the raglan increases were complete well before the underarm was reached.
  
• Because I had fewer stitches than called for for the neck, I didn't need all the number of stitches the pattern called for when picking up to knit the ribbing at the neck. I just went with the tried and true pick-up 3 stitches for every 4 already in existence. I also dropped down to a size 6 needle for the neck ribbing. Wish I had gone down to a 5.
  
• Did not do the last decrease for the waist shaping~~one of the benefits of neckdown knitting in the round is the ability to try the garment on. My waist couldn't take another decrease, so I just knit straight for that decrease until I reached the row for second increase and carried on from there.
• My sleeves may be a little longer. I held both sleeves paritally finished on waste yarn until I was well past the bust area--almost finished with the body really~~so I could try the sleeves on for fit as I went. I think they are a little longer~~again, the advantage of knitting top down in the round.
• Mistake mod: knit too long from cast on to the underarm~~I have a little too much length in that area, but not overwhelmingly so.
  

Thoughts: Love the pattern. Made a very snuggly sweater. Quick knit even though this is supposedly a DK weight yarn. Totally enjoyed it and am very pleased with the outcome. Top down in the round is my favorite kind of sweater~~I have three more pullovers in the queue that are of similar construction. Also top down but knit back and forth is the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I even like the picot edge to the body and sleeves. Wish the neck could have had it as well. Great experience. Great sweater. I'm happy.

PS: Anyone interested in buying/swapping for 6 full skeins of Queensland Kathmandu DK in rust colorway dyelot 643? Same dyelot is still available at the ebay store from which I purchased it.